The Heart of King Arthur
by silvermoon8705
Summary: A young Arthur's life changes forever when he meets the immortal Dragonlord, Merlin. A story of love, tragedy and acceptance. Reincarnation AU. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Heart of King Arthur  
**Author: **silvermoon8705  
**Characters/Pairings:** Merlin/Arthur, past Arthur/Morgana, Merlin/Nimue, Gwen/Lancelot, Richard/Kahlan, Cara, The Great Dragon (Kilgharrah), Mordred, Morgause, Ygraine, Uther, OCs  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Content Advisory: **violence, implications of incest, mind control  
**Disclaimer: **The show "Merlin" is property of the BBC. Legend of the Seeker is property of Terry Goodkind. This story was initially inspired by the 1996 film "Dragonheart" directed by Rob Cohen. "Once Upon A December" lyrics sung by Liz Callaway. Dialogue (slightly edited by me) taken from "Snow White: A Tale of Terror", a movie based on the Grimm Brothers' version of Snow White. Elements from variations of Arthurian legend have been blended together here. No money being made.  
**Summary:** Prince Arthur was saved by the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah, forever linking his life to the magical creature, after a battle that killed King Uther left an eleven year old Arthur the King of Camelot. That's when he met the dragon's Keeper, the immortal Dragonlord, Merlin.

Merlin's entrance into a young Arthur's life resulted in more than the young King gaining a mentor. But Arthur's love for Merlin is left hopelessly unrequited and Arthur turns to Merlin's daughter, Morgana, as a friend, a lover... but Arthur never imagined that the child he had with Morgana would be an important piece of the puzzle to unraveling Merlin's secrets.

Centuries after Camelot, Arthur is reincarnated for the first time. On the eve of his remembering his former life as King of Camelot, Arthur finally learns the truth.

A story of love, tragedy, and acceptance.

**A/N:** This is a Merlin/Legend of the Seeker fusion fic (going by the character listing and disclaimer, it's easy to tell ;)). This fic is completed and I plan to update this here every week or so. I just decided to get this fic up here to see if there is any interest in it. If there is, I'll definitely update this more quickly. There are six more parts, although some may be doubled up if the word limit permits it. This fic will end with Merlin/Arthur, but it's not exactly front and center. The relationships are a bit complicated here and the Merlin/Arthur is mostly one-sided Arthur pining over Merlin and Merlin hiding some rather dark secrets (which will be revealed, of course).

For Legend of the Seeker fans, Kahlan is Arthur and Morgana's daughter in this fic. By extension (since Morgana is Merlin's daughter in this fic...it's an AU!Camelot), Merlin is Kahlan's grandfather. So yeah...relationships = complicated here. Merlin has stopped aging at the age of 25 (and he's immortal too, as mentioned in the summary)...just so you're aware of it before you start reading the story. It's addressed in the fic at any rate. :) Hope you enjoy this. :)

* I haven't abandoned my HP/Merlin crossover, Intrigue. I've just been bad with updating it, but I've started the next chapter and set up a place for the chapter to end. Quite a few revelations in the upcoming chapter. I apologize to those who've been reading the story. I appreciate your interest and support for the story. Thank you!

* * *

Nimue should have known that her audience wouldn't be the most attentive when she saw Kilgharrah laying about, bored, and in the middle of yawning. And Merlin was no better. The Dragonlord was seated in a floating chair and his full attention was on the book he was reading.

"Merlin, there's a transition meeting—oh, honestly," Nimue cut herself off when Merlin gave her no notice.

Even after the dragon breathed out a puff of fire in Merlin's general direction, he still didn't look at her. He just raised his hand to keep the fire blast away from him.

"Merlin! Would you listen to me? Your presence is required, mine as well, at the meeting. Everyone will be there. It's important," she emphasized.

"Can't you just sit in for me, love?" Merlin suggested, turning the page of his book, "Surely they don't need both of us."

"Merlin's reading a murder mystery," the dragon piped up idly, smirking.

Merlin threw Kilgharrah a glare. "Tattle-tale," he muttered without feeling. He looked to Nimue who looked at him expectantly. Merlin sighed in exasperation. "It's Sherlock Holmes. What is wrong with that? It's one of the few excitements I get these days."

"Reading a book?" The dragon snorted, incredulous.

"Do you know how many centuries I had to live through with books being difficult to get a hold of?" Merlin argued. "It's amazing how much the world outside of Avalon has evolved. Even since Arthur's time…since Camelot, it's like a whole different world."

"Very well," Nimue said tiredly, not feeling it was worth her time now to row about a book.

She wasn't Merlin's babysitter, but being married to him for centuries now certainly did not come without its share of troubles. Everything was littered with imperfections and this marriage between them was no different. But they had muddled through somehow.

"—But you _can not _miss this meeting," Nimue pressed on. "Kahlan and Richard will be present, of course. Even Cara and her group will be there."

Merlin raised his brow at her. "What is this, a war council now? Why would she and the other Elites come?"

"I could use a good war about now," Kilgharrah remarked wistfully.

"Like I said," Nimue repeated slowly. "_Everyone will be there._ So you have to come."

"That war with the London Blitz? Which one was that?" The dragon mused out loud.

"World War Two," Merlin answered him without a glance in his direction.

"…the last full-scale participation by Avalon, wasn't it? That was years ago, and Arthur wasn't even born yet? Or reborn, actually?"

"Yes, and you were reincarnated at the same time as well," Merlin told him.

"Hmm, yes," the dragon said, nodding. A puff of smoke came out of his mouth and he made small circles of smoke with his clawed hand.

Nimue only shook her head. "Merlin?" She said, drawing his attention back to her.

Merlin nodded at her. "All right. If Morgana wants me there, then I'll attend."

He magicked his chair to return to the ground and then he stood up.

"Of course she does. She wants to be thorough for this meeting. Despite the information being a rehashing for you, Morgana is our daughter. We should abide by her request."

"Yes, you're right," Merlin agreed, carrying the book for later perusal.

Before he left with Nimue, Kilgharrah said that he would head off outside of Avalon for a bit. Merlin told him to be careful for Arthur's sake. Even with the magical protections on the dragon, one could never be too cautious.

The Great Dragon nodded in understanding. Though Merlin could tell that the dragon was being agreeable because he was eager to stretch his wings and explore, bored as he was.

Merlin couldn't blame Kilgharrah.

He had known the dragon since he had first hatched out of his egg and chose Merlin as his Dragonlord, charring the edge of Merlin's robes in the process. Merlin knew the moods of his dragon as well as Kilgharrah knew him.

_Far away, long ago, __  
__Glowing dim as an ember, __  
__Things my heart __  
__Used to know, __  
__Things it yearns to remember..._

"What do you plan to do now, Arthur?" Gwen asked him.

Arthur thought he could use a bit of a break. He had just completed his residency in internal medicine. And so, Gwen and Lancelot invited him to a celebratory dinner at a fancy restaurant in honour of the accomplishment. Almost a year away from turning 30, Arthur found himself one step closer to becoming a cardiologist. Still, it seemed like the end goal was as far away as ever.

He tapped his spoon against the clear glass, the clinking sound ringing in his ears.

Flashes of images rushed into his mind. Arthur couldn't quite grasp what it was that had invaded his mind's eye, but it felt _familiar _somehow.

A dark-haired, pale-skinned man in robes stood on the top of what appeared to be castle ramparts. Though the twenty-something man was thin, he was not one to be intimidated. The dark-haired man had great power at his command. Arthur didn't know what made him come to that conclusion, but it just…made _perfect _sense in his mind.

His vantage point was from the surrounding courtyard. He was looking up at the mysterious man. Arthur saw a crowd watching along with him.

The man turned to face the crowd, his arms wide open. He was saying something, but Arthur couldn't hear him or anyone else for that matter. It was like watching a silent film except it was in color. Then the robed man shifted position and his back was to his audience.

Arthur watched in numb horror as the man walked backwards to the very edge of the ramparts and stepped off the edge. The man had to have had a death wish!

But the man only fell a few feet before a big dragon appeared and swept in to catch the man before he hit the hard ground.

The man rode the dragon around the courtyard. Arthur could see the others cheering, impressed by the display.

Arthur was impressed as well, but more so, he was worried about his sanity. Why was he suddenly being assaulted by images of dark-haired men and dragons? And castles? He thought it was all very Camelot – that was the conclusion he couldn't help jumping to.

Arthur had read some books on Arthurian legend when he was younger because he had been curious. With a name like his, of course he'd be interested in it (and well, his mum had told him a number of times that she had, in fact, named after the king of legend). But the interest had tapered off as he got older, started university…and so, there really was no reason why he was _now _seeing this foreign event in his head.

Maybe he just hadn't had enough sleep last night. That was it.

"Arthur?" Lancelot said, looking at him strangely.

Shrugging, Arthur answered him, returning to the conversation at hand, "I'm thinking of going on holiday. It would be nice to get the chance to relax. My mother has a house in Ireland. I could go there. Or New Zealand, maybe." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease a knot there. "You both have gone there, haven't you?" He inquired.

"Oh yes, Lancelot and I went to New Zealand last year for our wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time," Gwen enthused, her dark eyes lit up as she spoke of the country.

"Best way to relax: fly halfway across the world where no one knows you," Lancelot joked. "I've actually been telling Gwen that we should move there."

Arthur raised his brow. "Really?"

Gwen waved her hand. "It's a silly thought. We have to see if we can find work there first. It's just a dream now. And of course we don't want to relocate. You're our good friend, Arthur. We would miss you."

She elbowed Lancelot when he didn't say anything. Getting with the program, he nodded. "Yes, Gwen's right. You know how it is. Just a nice idea now."

"Whatever works for you two. I'll be fine. There's no need to worry about me," Arthur assured them.

Gwen bit her lip, frowning at him. She didn't look convinced.

"You haven't had a steady relationship since Sophia, Arthur. And that was months ago," Gwen reminded him.

Arthur waved his glass at her and pointed out, "It's not my fault she was a witch."

Lancelot gave a good chuckle at that.

Arthur was pensive for a moment and he amended his statement, "Well, Sophia thought she was a witch at any rate. I think she had a chemical imbalance in her brain. And that wasn't exactly a 'steady' relationship."

"At least it was better than a one-night stand," Lancelot gave his input.

Arthur wagged his finger at him. "I do not have one-night stands," He countered.

"…except when you're drunk," Lancelot said in a knowing tone.

Arthur glared at his friend. But he had to admit, Lancelot did have a point there…sadly.

"My point still stands," Gwen interjected smoothly, "You went out with her for half a year. I had a feeling that it wouldn't end well, but…"

"Gwen, I'm _fine_," He reiterated, tone firm, "My mother is doing an expert job of setting me up on dates, hoping one will stick. I appreciate your concern, I do, but I lead a busy life. I want to focus on becoming a cardiologist. That's my priority. Not to date witch—women," he rushed to correct himself.

Gwen covered her mouth, hiding a giggle, while Lancelot laughed.

Arthur pretended not to notice as he cut into his steak.

"So…" Arthur spoke up again after he chewed his piece of meat, "Any children in your sights? What now – it's going on five years of marriage?"

"Well, we're considering it. Aren't we, Lancelot?" Gwen said, looking to her husband.

Lancelot nodded. As he spoke of their planning, Arthur was treated to another inexplicable, soundless vision.

This one was brief though. He saw a little girl with dark hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a blue and purple dress and she was twirling around. Then the girl smiled at someone who Arthur could not see.

The image of the girl faded away and Arthur was left thinking that the color of her eyes was strikingly similar to his own.

"Arthur, _Arthur_…you're going to spill your glass," Gwen's warning tone of voice returned Arthur's attention back to her.

Arthur shook himself, and he gave her a smile as he righted his glass. "I apologize. I drifted off there. I haven't been paying attention."

"Well, we can see that. If you're tired…" Gwen began, concerned.

"Yeah, maybe I am," Arthur agreed, sounding regretful. "But I appreciate the gesture here. It was nice to see the both of you," he said genuinely.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. Lancelot and I wish you well," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, best of luck, mate," Lancelot told him.

And not long afterwards, the three of them parted ways, promising to meet up once again in a week or so.

When Arthur climbed into his car, his mobile rang.

And that's when everything changed.

It wasn't like before. This time, there was an explosion of sound, images, and it all felt so real. It was like watching the lengthy trailer to a film, but it was…this was his life.

When Arthur was five, he couldn't sleep one night. A day of seeing sorcerers executed had traumatized him. His father had looked about ready to hit him when Arthur threw a tantrum in front of some members of the Court. His mother had consoled him and assured Arthur, as she always did, that if he ever was feeling troubled, his angel would listen to his worries and comfort him whenever he needed it. His mother told him that everyone had their own guardian angel and to rest assured, one was never truly alone because one's angel was always there-

"-right there in your heart, my dear," his mother said to him, placing her hand over his heart.

That night Arthur saw a floating blue ball of light appear by his bedside. Arthur did not feel afraid though. He knew the ball of light was conjured by magic, and magic was dangerous according to his father, but still, Arthur felt calm and at peace upon sighting the orb. He decided that surely this must be a sign from his angel. His mother had been right after all.

Arthur slept well after that, knowing his angel was keeping watch over him.

* * *

"Long Live King Arthur! Long Live the King!" The people cheered in the hall.

Arthur looked over at Merlin. The Dragonlord was resplendent in deep blue robes and he was clapping enthusiastically along with everyone else. His wife, Nimue, was beside him. Arthur found his smile mirrored on his mentor's face.

Arthur thought he could never be happier than he was right now.

* * *

"Sire, please, you need to eat," Merlin pleaded with him.

Arthur groaned. He felt absolutely miserable, the fever giving him a sort of heavy, drowsy feeling. In a fit of frustration at the forced bed rest, he had thrown his covers off the bed.

"This isn't your job," Arthur pointed out, grumbling.

Merlin gave him a half-smile. "Since your mother hasn't returned yet, the court physician thought I would be the best person to get you to eat."

"Myrddin probably couldn't find anyone else to bother with me. All the servants know how I am when I'm ill."

Merlin shook his head, looking bemused. "I believe I can handle the challenge. I've had to look after Viviane and Morgana numerous times while they were sick. And they weren't the easiest of patients either. I'm certain Morgana would have you beat in that category," he teased him while Arthur looking affronted at Morgana beating him at _anything._ Merlin then insisted, "Now, please eat."

Arthur sighed resignedly and Merlin guided the spoon, full of bland-looking gruel, into his mouth.

"You don't have to feed me," Arthur told him in mild exasperation after eating a few spoonfuls. "I'm not a child."

Merlin smiled quietly at him. "After how many years I've lived, most people are children to me. It is nothing to be ashamed of."

"…do you wish you could relive your childhood?" Arthur wondered.

Merlin appeared thoughtful. "It would be nice, I admit."

"What was it like when you were a child?" Arthur asked him, curious.

Merlin swept aside some blonde locks from Arthur's brow. Then he spoke, "My friends and I used to spend hours exploring the forest. And we liked to dream up what we wanted to do when we were older. The more outlandish idea, the better. I was never happier."

Arthur smiled; feeling tired all of a sudden. "That sounds really nice."

Merlin returned the smile and then he leaned down to press a kiss to Arthur's forehead. "Sweet dreams, My Lord," he wished him as Arthur's eyes closed.

* * *

"You just said there was a horrific creature in that pond, Morgana. Why are you going into the water? Are you mad?" Arthur asked her.

"Braver than you, oh great king," she said smartly, challenging him to prove her wrong.

Morgana stripped off her dress, leaving her in her white shift underneath.

"Morgana, what are you doing?" Arthur said incredulously.

"I don't want to get my dress wet," she explained smoothly, smiling sweetly at him.

Morgana started walking toward the pond. She looked back at Arthur who was staring at her dress that she had left on the shore.

"Well, Your Majesty? Are you going to join me or stay and guard my dress like an idiot?" She teased him, grinning.

"I'm coming," he declared. "You're half-mad, but I'm coming."

* * *

"You're staring at my father again, Arthur," Morgana remarked to him.

Arthur hit his goblet so hard with his fork that the cup almost fell. He righted it quickly.

"I was doing no such thing…" He denied firmly.

Morgana gave him a knowing look. She moved her hand to rest over his. Arthur hadn't realized that his anxiety was showing. His hand stilled under her touch.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Mordred is looking at us."

* * *

Arthur observed Merlin as he cast a knowing look in Nimue's direction. And then the Dragonlord raised his goblet and drank from it. To Arthur, it seemed like a sort of challenge, but he wasn't sure what the game entailed.

Merlin excused himself from the feast and slipped out. Arthur, curiosity getting the better of him, followed after him.

Morgana blocked his way from the hall, and he just noticed the other girls nearby watching them with keen eyes.

Morgana smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Hello."

"Morgana, please, I don't even want to know," Arthur said with a sigh.

Her green eyes twinkled and she offered him a dark red handkerchief.

Baffled, Arthur took it. He saw that his name, Arthur, was embroidered upon it. There was a picture of a knight falling off his steed below the name.

She graced him with a mischievous smile. "I've been practicing; you see… do you like it?"

Arthur just stared at her. "It's definitely you, Morgana," he finally said.

Appearing pleased with the answer, she nodded at him and this time, she properly curtsied at him before returning to the other girls.

As he exited the hall, Arthur could hear Morgana and the other girls talking excitedly and giggling behind his back.

When he spotted Merlin and Nimue in a darkened corridor, both oblivious to anyone but each other, Arthur felt like an idiot.

It had been a lust potion, of course, or something like it. Arthur's hand clenched tight around the red handkerchief Morgana had given him.

* * *

It was a sudden, horrific jolt that he was falling; that he was going to die that brought Arthur back to himself.

He had been tricked. His mind had been in a haze and he hadn't been thinking clearly.

But then inexplicably, he stopped falling and he didn't hit the merciless hard ground as he'd feared.

Arthur felt scales underneath him, firm and a bit rough, but blessedly welcome.

"I've got you," Merlin reassured him. He looked back at Arthur. "Hold on, all right?"

"I—I'm not sure what happened," Arthur admitted, though he had enough presence of mind to wrap his arms around Merlin's middle.

Kilgharrah was suspended in flight, his wings flapping up and down to stay in the air.

"If I am to be bonded to him, I'm not going to let him die in a ridiculous manner," the dragon said gruffly.

"Oh, hush, Kilgharrah," Merlin said lightly, stroking the dragon's scales as if he were a pet.

"You saved me," Arthur declared.

Merlin turned his head to look at him and smiled at him softly. "Of course I did," he said easily.

Merlin squeezed his shoulder, nodding at him, and then he directed Kilgharrah to fly higher, to return home.

With Arthur resting in bed, safely returned in the castle, he was close to telling Merlin that he loved him. He knew it was wrong – Merlin wouldn't take it the way Arthur meant it, but Arthur was so overwhelmed with gratefulness and relief that he needed to say the words.

But then Morgana rushed into his bedchambers and wept with relief that Arthur was all right. She embraced him, and Arthur tried to scoff but his complaints were weak and he accepted the hug. He relaxed in her arms, smelling the sweet scent of flowers on her.

Arthur saw Merlin follow Nimue, who had come with Morgana, out of the room. Morgana drew his attention back to her and Arthur answered her, doing his best to set her at ease.

* * *

"Morgana, _Morgana_…" Arthur cut into her speech, exasperated.

Morgana paused, looking at him. "—what?"

And then he kissed her. "It's _you_, all right?" He told her firmly.

She still looked unsure.

He touched her cheek, sweeping aside a loose strand of dark hair and placing it behind her ear.

"And you're beautiful," he told her honestly.

"You've lost your mind," Morgana replied in a disbelieving huff.

He kissed her again. "Maybe I have," Arthur remarked afterwards, smirking at her. "But I don't mind."

She rolled her eyes and then pulled him back toward her. This time, Morgana initiated the kiss. She didn't hold back.

* * *

Arthur entered Morgana's chambers and she smiled quietly at him from her bed. She held their daughter in her arms.

"How is Kahlan?" He asked after a long pause, trying to gauge Morgana's mood. But she looked relaxed, albeit tired.

"She threw a little fuss early, but she's asleep now. How are you?" Morgana asked him. He sat down in a chair by her bed, and he bent down to kiss Kahlan on the forehead before he looked up at Morgana.

Arthur started uncertainly, "I was just wondering…have you ever seen this power Kahlan is supposed to have? Confessing someone?"

Morgana shook her head. "No, but my mother assured me that it's a fate worse than death in its own way. But as long as control is learned early on, Kahlan will be all right. This doesn't make her a bad person."

"I'm not saying that, I just…I don't know. I don't know what to do," Arthur confided in her hopelessly.

Morgana gave him an understanding look. "I know how you feel, Arthur, truly I do. I'm in the same situation as you. But Kahlan will be safest at Avalon, and the best we could do is to love her."

Arthur nodded in agreement.

"…our little princess," Morgana murmured to the baby as the child roused from her sleep.

And when Arthur cradled Kahlan in his arms, a warm, peaceful feeling swept through him.

* * *

Merlin officiated the wedding ceremony between Arthur and the Lady Guinevere. There was some trouble near the beginning as Kahlan, who was three, started fidgeting and then began to cry.

Her hands were bound together with enchanted rope, so she couldn't disentangle it.

Kahlan hated the binding and she made it known, throwing a fit about it. Morgana and Nimue tried to get her to settle down, but Kahlan wouldn't have it. She was inconsolable. Arthur knew that Morgana normally did not to do this to their daughter, but with her being in public now; this was done as a precaution. Everyone present at the ceremony knew what Kahlan was capable of doing.

Arthur felt awful for his daughter, but sometimes the necessary solution was unpleasant.

Guinevere looked just as sad for the child's predicament. "Oh the poor dear," she murmured. Arthur looked at her apologetically. The ceremony stalled for the moment during Kahlan's disruption. Merlin appeared thoughtful.

Before anyone could stop her, Kahlan managed to disappear in a burst of accidental magic. She reappeared by Merlin's side. She looked up pleadingly at him.

Merlin knelt down and set the book he was reading from aside. He sighed, resigned. Arthur knew well that Merlin was quite permissive when it came to his granddaughter. Kahlan had learned this truth rather quickly.

Merlin unbound the rope around her hands. He kissed her on the head and she grinned at him. "Thank you," Kahlan said happily.

Kahlan turned to Arthur then and opened her arms, gesturing that she wanted a hug. Arthur smiled at her and he lifted her up, her arms wrapped around his neck.

A flurry of hushed whispers pervaded the hall, but Arthur tried to pay them no heed.

"Love you," Kahlan said sweetly.

Arthur kissed her on the nose. "And I love you too. Now will you be a good girl and go back to mummy?" He asked her.

She nodded and he set her down. Kahlan went back to Morgana and Nimue. Morgana took her in her arms, and the little girl rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

* * *

He had been reborn.

And the memories came flooding in, wave after wave, invading his mind's eye as a cavalry would strike hard against their enemy. It was too much to take in, but Arthur felt like his eyes were finally open for the first time in his life—reincarnation. He felt complete when he hadn't thought he had been missing anything. But he had missed _so much._


	2. Memories

**Title:** The Heart of King Arthur  
**Author: **silvermoon8705  
**Characters/Pairings:** Merlin/Arthur, past Arthur/Morgana, Merlin/Nimue, Gwen/Lancelot, Richard/Kahlan, The Great Dragon (Kilgharrah), Cara, Mordred, Morgause, Ygraine, Uther, OCs  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Content Advisory: **violence, implications of incest, mind control  
**Disclaimer: **The show "Merlin" is property of the BBC. Legend of the Seeker is property of Terry Goodkind. This story was initially inspired by the 1996 film "Dragonheart" directed by Rob Cohen. "Once Upon A December" lyrics sung by Liz Callaway. Dialogue (slightly edited by me) taken from "Snow White: A Tale of Terror", a movie based on the Grimm Brothers' version of Snow White. Elements from variations of Arthurian legend have been blended together here. No money being made.  
**Summary:** Prince Arthur was saved by the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah, forever linking his life to the magical creature, after a battle that killed King Uther left an eleven year old Arthur the King of Camelot. That's when he met the dragon's Keeper, the immortal Dragonlord, Merlin.

Merlin's entrance into a young Arthur's life resulted in more than the young King gaining a mentor. But Arthur's love for Merlin is left hopelessly unrequited and Arthur turns to Merlin's daughter, Morgana, as a friend, a lover... but Arthur never imagined that the child he had with Morgana would be an important piece of the puzzle to unraveling Merlin's secrets.

Centuries after Camelot, Arthur is reincarnated for the first time. On the eve of his remembering his former life as King of Camelot, Arthur finally learns the truth.

A story of love, tragedy, and acceptance.

* * *

_Past_

King Arthur felt his heart beat slower; the noise seemed to fade around him as the pain hit. He knew, without a doubt, that the end was near. He had served Camelot well during his long reign, and now the mortal wound from Mordred's blade would be the death of him. It was a small consolation that he had killed Mordred before he could succumb to his own fatal injury.

The king smiled, eyes trying to remain open, as he saw Merlin reach him.

"Your Majesty," The Dragonlord uttered in grave concern. He collapsed beside his King, and he cradled his head in his lap.

"My time is at its end," Arthur whispered what he was sure Merlin already knew.

"I wish it wasn't," Merlin said plaintively, sounding like a lost child and not the immortal Dragonlord that he truly was.

The king sighed weakly, and he reached up so that his fingers touched his oldest friend's cheek, the roughness of his sword-callused hand contrasting starkly with the impossible smoothness of the ageless sorcerer's face.

Merlin clasped his hand over Arthur's, and he leaned into the caress as tears streaked his face and his wise, blue eyes were darkened with sadness.

Arthur closed his eyes briefly before he asked of Merlin, "Tell Guinevere that I love her, and that I wish her well."

The Dragonlord gave a solemn nod. "Yes, I will tell her so," he promised him.

The king coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. He hung on though, his determination seeing him through for as long as he needed it. "Merlin," he said hoarsely.

"Yes?"

"I have not loved another as much as I have come to love you," Arthur declared, his words true and spoke of what he held dear to his heart.

"I – I love you, too," Merlin said quietly, sincerely. The turmoil of emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He took a deep, calming breath and then with his voice wavering only slightly, he said resolutely, "May the spirits be with you, and one day, I will see you again, I promise you, My Lord."

Gently, Merlin grasped Arthur's hand, still upon his face, and set it down on the ground. Unwilling to let go, his hand remained over his king's and he stroked the hand, feeling it well-worn by age and battle.

"The Dragon…" The king wondered, concerned about how this would affect the creature.

The Dragonlord gave him a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand in a comforting grip. "He will always be a part of you, always."

Arthur smiled faintly back at him. As he looked upon the pale face of his friend and mentor; King Arthur saw a long ago memory flash before his eyes of a Dragon giving him life and a tender kiss upon his brow.

The King of Camelot closed his eyes for the final time.

"Arthur," Merlin whispered in a small voice, the name like an anchor, a promise. "Good bye, my King," he said quietly.

**Past (495 AD):**

Chaos reigned as Prince Arthur watched the small Druid village go up in flame. The villagers rushed to save and defend themselves as best as they could against the King's men. No matter how much effort his father put into instilling an eleven year old Arthur with the same beliefs, the prince could not comprehend how this battle was justified.

Even women and children were caught in the crossfire. Eager to help, he pulled away from his mentor, Sir Kay, who shouted at him to come back, that it was foolish of him to head into such a danger. But Arthur simply couldn't stand by and watch. He wanted to help. Checking to see that his sword was secure at his waist, he entered the battle.

Almost immediately, he found two Druid children, a girl his age and a younger boy. While they both had dark hair, the boy's blue eyes were startling and almost cold where the girl's plainer brown eyes were warmer. They were huddled together, pressed up against a dilapidated dwelling. Arthur caught sight of the boy and girl as one of his father's men attacked them, drawing his sharp blade upon the children. The prince rushed to place himself between the offender and the Druid children. He was young, yes, and still learning, but Arthur wielded his sword as Sir Kay had taught him against the older man.

The young prince succeeded in disarming the other man, and with all the force he could muster, he plunged his sword into the soft flesh of the man's stomach. The man fell down, defeated.

The boy and girl had thanked Arthur, the girl telling him her and the boy's name. But the fight was ongoing, and there was no time for more than hurried introductions. The girl was named Freya and the boy's name was Mordred.

With little warning, a broad-shouldered man came down on Arthur, striking him with his weapon, stabbing him. And then all the boy could feel was an overwhelming pain.

Arthur could barely hear Sir Kay rushing to him, calling to him. He pleaded with the boy that he hold on just a little longer.

The prince tried his best, but he was so tired and he only wished for the pain to cease. He couldn't resist surrendering to the inviting darkness.

Arthur opened his eyes, disconcertedly taking in his surroundings.

"Hello," Merlin said to him softly, brushing away stray locks of hair from his forehead.

"Hi," Arthur said in a small voice, his tone uncertain.

Merlin smiled down on him. Arthur felt reassured by his presence, though he wasn't sure why. And the dark-haired man's eyes, his blue eyes, didn't startle the boy as Mordred's had in that fleeting moment. Here, the man's eyes held a warmth to them not dissimilar to those of the Druid girl's. They reminded Arthur of pleasant things.

And so when Merlin leaned forward to give him a gentle kiss upon his brow, Arthur found that he did not mind the gesture of affection. Even though the man was a stranger to him, Arthur appreciated the small kindness after believing he would die. But he didn't feel like he was at death's door anymore. He smiled at his mother who held his hand in hers.

"What does this mean, Dragonlord?" Sir Kay wanted to know. "What will this mean for Arthur?"

The Great Dragon interjected before Merlin could speak. "It means, Knight, that while I live, he will live. If one of us shall die, then the other will die too," he explained, which sounded more like grumbling than anything else.

"My work is finished, but your work has just begun, Merlin. My soul will be damned if the child fails to rule with a good heart. Good luck," Kilgharrah wished him in a bit of a sulky tone.

Merlin sighed, hearing the Dragon's words. "Rest now," he spoke quietly to the child. He swept his hand over the boy's face.

And the young King Arthur fell into a peaceful sleep.

**497 AD**

"Sweetheart, your dress is ripped," Merlin said with a resigned sigh.

"Arthur and I were sword fighting. I beat him," Morgana said proudly.

Merlin's eyes twinkled at that.

"She did not!" Arthur exclaimed, affronted. "I let you win, Morgana!"

"You did not!" Morgana denied.

Arthur addressed Merlin then. "I am telling the truth. I went easy on her. She's not a man after all."

"Take that back!" She demanded, rising from her seat and pointing her finger at him. "Father, he's being horrid to me!" Morgana said fiercely.

Merlin took a deep breath and then released it. He spoke calmly, "Morgana dear, please sit down. And if you plan on beating the king in sword fighting, please wear the appropriate attire. You don't want to ruin your dress, my dear."

Morgana looked smug as she looked to Arthur. "Ah! See, I was right!"

Arthur grumbled. "Well, of course he'd say that. He's your father. But I _know _I'm right."

Morgana looked questioningly at her father. "But you did mean it, didn't you? You weren't just trying to make me feel better?"

"I have every confidence you are quite capable of doing whatever you set your mind to," he said easily. "I believe His Majesty is contending with a bruised ego, I fear?" Merlin mused. Arthur looked betrayed. "Do not worry, Sire. It'll pass with time."

Morgana giggled at the comment and even Merlin chuckled a bit. Arthur sat in his chair, arms crossed against his chest and a firm frown on his face.

"Not fair," he muttered.

"Oh, poor Arthur," Morgana remarked, and then she went over to him, kissing him on the cheek quickly.

When they were all settled, Merlin began to go into the memory transfer spell he would do with Arthur. Morgana was there as it was an educational lesson for her, to see how such a spell worked.

Two years into his reign, Arthur had asked Merlin if he was able to give Arthur the memory of when Kilgharrah gave him life. Arthur wondered if it had been possible to do so with magic. As he'd been unconscious through most of the event, Arthur was interested in finding out what he was missing.

Fortunately, it was possible and here they were. Merlin told Arthur to close his eyes and to relax his mind, only focusing on the memory he wanted. His mentor placed one hand on either side of his forehead and then Arthur could see the memory unravel in his mind's eye.

_"Please, he will die without your help," Queen Ygraine pleaded with the obstinate Great Dragon, Kilgharrah. "His father was killed in the same battle where Arthur was wounded. My son is now King by right. If he dies, Camelot will fall."_

_She squeezed her son's hand to comfort him. He was lying unconscious upon a low stone altar and his breathing was weak. The boy appeared to be in pain and trapped in a fitful sleep. _

_The dragon's voice echoed in the huge cavern. "You have been a friend to my kin, Ygraine, but if that boy is anything like his father… I will not have a hand in his tyranny."_

_"But he's still young! I assure you that Arthur has a good heart. I can't bear to see him die – he's just a boy! I beg of you, please, Kilgharrah," the queen entreated desperately. _

_Sir Kay, who stood beside the Queen, was about to speak when a hooded man in deep blue robes stepped out of the shadows. He stood next to the Dragon and removed his hood so that his pale face was revealed. He had dark hair, as dark as the midnight sky, but his blue eyes were bright and perceptive. Certainly he was a man who was not lacking in wisdom. _

_"Lady Ygraine, Sir Kay," the man greeted them, nodding at each of them in turn. "I am Merlin, Kilgharrah's Keeper."_

_"She wishes me to revive her son," the Dragon told him, huffing in displeasure. "His father was a tyrant. He was no friend to those of magic. I refuse to aid anyone of the same blood."_

_"I know that Arthur will grow up to be a good man," Sir Kay said fiercely, frustration showing as he tightened his hold on the hilt of his sword. "He deserves to live!"_

_Kilgharrah rested his clawed hand under his chin. He was lying on the cave floor, looking rather disinterested. "I do not care."_

_Merlin admonished the Dragon. He placed his hand upon the creature's scaled back. "Kilgharrah, now, you must not be so dismissive."_

_"What do you propose?" the Dragon asked the man. _

_Ygraine interrupted then, earnest to plea her case. "I have spoken to the Lady of the Lake, Merlin. She has spoken highly of you. Surely you would aid us. You can not let my son die."_

_Merlin gave Ygraine a careful look. "You've spoken to my daughter?"_

_"…your daughter?" She uttered, puzzled. The dark-haired man before her looked only a decade older than her own son. Twenty years of age at a quick guess. _

_"Yes, she is one of my children. Her name is Viviane, though she is best known as the Lady of the Lake. I have lived through several centuries, My Lady. My youthful appearance may deceive you of that truth, but that is the price of immortality. As it is, in my long life, I understand how it feels to lose a child. I do not wish that upon anyone," he told her gently. He turned to address the Dragon then. "You must heal the child, Kilgharrah. I will mentor him to be a good and wise King. I promise you that you will not regret saving him."_

_The Dragon breathed out fire for a moment. He clearly looked unhappy about the proposal. But he seemed to relent though, and he sighed. "Very well. I will hold you to your word, Dragonlord. You should count yourself lucky that you are one of the few I trust in this world."_

_"You did choose me as your Keeper. I have not disappointed you all these years, have I?" Merlin teased softly. _

_The Dragon only grunted at him, grudgingly agreeing to his remark. The magical creature stood up then and placed his hand over the spot where his heart was. Looking to Merlin, who nodded encouragingly at him, the Dragon chanted a spell – one weaved of ancient magic. _

_Upon completing the spell, the Dragon was able to reach inside himself to pull out a part of his heart. While where his heart lay was surrounded by pure darkness, the soothing peace of an enchanting midnight sky swept by flickering stars; the colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet – shined brilliantly through as a piece of the dragon's heart was taken out. _

_He held a part of his heart in his hand and with another spell; the dragon placed the live-giving heart inside Arthur's wound. Kilgharrah let out a small burst of fire breath to seal the affected spot. One half of the Great Dragon's heart was melded to the young boy's heart. _

_"Half of my heart to make you whole," the Dragon said solemnly. Then he turned to speak to his Keeper. "And Merlin, don't mess this up," he said to him in a stern tone._

_"You have my word," the Dragonlord promised him. _

_Merlin walked toward the altar and he rested his palm over Arthur's brow._

_"Will he be all right?" Arthur's mother asked in deep concern._

_"Yes, My Lady. He will live," he told her, giving her a small smile._

**496 AD**

"This is my daughter, Morgana," Merlin introduced her to Arthur. He stood by his daughter's side. "Her mother wanted her to experience court life. She'll be staying here for some time."

Morgana curtsied politely, but then she gave Arthur an unimpressed gaze.

She looked up at Merlin. "Oh Father, but he doesn't look like a king at all. He looks the same age as me."

"Morgana," Merlin began, in mild warning.

"But how old are you?" She asked Arthur, curious.

Arthur wasn't happy about proving her right. "Eleven, nearly twelve."

Morgana stared at him. "You're terribly young."

"You're the same age as me!" He countered, exasperated.

"But I don't parade around with a crown that's too big for my head, _Your Majesty_," she replied smartly. She smiled at him sweetly.

Merlin frowned, looking like he wished to be anywhere but in this room. "Her mother, Nimue, believes in raising her to speak her mind. Morgana doesn't mean to be rude," he explained, sounding apologetic.

"I do not plan to be beholden to any man," Morgana declared. "I told Mother that I will one day be Queen of a great kingdom and I will rule alone. I don't see the point to a King," she said firmly.

"All right then…" Arthur answered her, perplexed by this strange yet pretty girl in a blue dress.

"Father believes that women shouldn't depend wholly on a man. Don't you, Father?" She inquired.

Merlin rubbed the back of his head, uncertain for a moment before nodding. "Yes, of course, sweetheart. I want you to be happy. And you must be on your best behavior in Camelot."

"Why?" she wondered.

"Because it will make me happy. You don't want to make me unhappy, right, Morgana?" Merlin asked her softly, his tone firm but a little coaxing as well.

Morgana sighed, seeming to not like having to 'be on her best behavior.' She gave a nod then and hugged her father.

"Good girl," he murmured, kissing her on the head.

Arthur felt something stir within him. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

* * *

"Arthur, _Arthur_, come on. Please?" Morgana pleaded.

He crossed his arms against his chest. "I am the King. This is beneath me. I will not be experimented on."

Morgana giggled at him from her branch seat in one of the trees. Arthur glared up at her, his feet still firm on the forest floor.

"But you still look like a boy. How many have mistaken you for a prince, I would love to know!" Morgana exclaimed.

Arthur frowned at that. "I still do not consent."

"Ah, just a little bit?" Morgana coaxed. "Please? I'd like to practice my magic. And it's ever so more interesting when you're levitating a person rather than a branch or something equally dull."

Arthur still stood his ground.

Morgana raised her hand anyway and Arthur nearly yelped when he found himself floating a few inches off the ground.

"Morgana!" He cried, annoyed.

"Walk a few feet," she directed him. She gestured a walking motion with two fingers. "I want to see if I can keep it going."

"Evil witch," he muttered, but he did as Morgana requested anyway.

She smiled sweetly at him. "You're too kind, Your Majesty."

Arthur would admit, to no one but himself that was, that he did enjoy being able to walk on thin air. He couldn't help but become interested in what more magic had to offer.

* * *

"Such a deluded little boy," Nimue said to him.

As was common, she was wearing her red silk dress that screamed 'seductress: tread with caution'. She came to stand beside him at the water's edge. Arthur had been watching Merlin who was presently swimming in the lake a few feet away from shore. The Dragonlord had taken off all his clothes as he'd wanted to make the most of the cool water on a warm day.

"You can't call me that," Arthur told her indignantly.

She hummed at him, unaffected. "You do know that he is only being nice to you? Merlin is like that. Anyone can see that."

"I don't know why you're telling me this," Arthur said, trying to sound nonchalant. He couldn't help his gaze shifting to see Merlin's dark head appear out of the water. His back was to them and the paleness of his skin could be seen from afar. Arthur couldn't help but stare.

"Oh, but of course, if you insist on pretending, then go right ahead. I wonder though – have you heard about the woman who ripped a man's heart out?"

Arthur let out a long sigh. He turned to her. "No…did the man die then?"

Nimue smiled almost wickedly at him. Arthur tried not to shudder. "Oh, of course not. The man lived, but the poor soul had lost his heart. He could not love another for the rest of his days."

"That's not possible. No one can live without their heart," Arthur refuted stubbornly.

She laughed softly. She ruffled his blonde hair and Arthur glared at her, annoyed. He was fourteen and it didn't help at all that Merlin's wife, lover, crazy witch from hell was treating him, the King, like a child. His insecurities regarding his attachment to Merlin worsened. He hated feeling inadequate.

"Do not believe you know Merlin, Your Majesty," Nimue told him, her formal address not lacking condescension.

In the corner of his eye, Arthur saw Merlin duck his head in the water and disappear from sight.

* * *

Arthur had been eleven the last time he saw Mordred. He had thought it would be the first and only time he would see the younger boy with the cold, blue eyes. Everything had changed after his father's pointless attack on the Druid village. His father had been killed, Arthur had been saved by Kilgharrah the Great Dragon, and he had met Merlin.

Not long after Morgana came to Camelot, Mordred followed.

Merlin hated the boy with a passion. When Arthur had asked why, Merlin did not deign him with an answer – instead saying that he needed to speak with Nimue.

Morgana did tell Arthur the story behind Mordred. You see, she had told him, Mordred was her half-brother, two years her junior. Her father couldn't stand the sight of him because Mordred was the product of her mother's infidelity.

Her father had been furious upon discovering that Nimue had slept with another man. He had told her, in no uncertain terms, that she get rid of the bastard or he would leave her.

Her mother loved her father, Morgana did not doubt this, and her mother could not bear for him to leave her. Morgana was very young when her mother let a Druid family raise Mordred, giving the boy up to keep Merlin with her.

Her father and mother had explained all this to Morgana. Whenever her mother had provided her side of the story, her father did not spare Nimue any displeased looks. In the end, Morgana had concluded, her father had assured her that he would always be there for her. That if he ever left her mother, he would not abandon Morgana.

Arthur marveled at how Merlin and Nimue could divulge that information regarding Mordred to their daughter.

Wasn't that just a little too much? But then, Morgana was _Morgana_…and Arthur could just imagine her demanding to know everything, that she not be treated as the child that she was.

Arthur only had his mother now and she did do her best to protect him from the darker secrets of the world around him. Of course, now as King, Arthur had to grow up fast and his childhood seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye after the Dragon's gift. He had been given a second chance at life, and with that came the overwhelming responsibilities of being a leader of a kingdom. And so, his mother's attempts to shelter him proved fruitless. Still, he did listen to his mother's advice and respected her in a way he could never respect his father when he had been alive.

If it were not for his mother, Merlin and his other advisors, Arthur didn't know what he'd do.

And so, Mordred being in Camelot was Nimue's decision much to Merlin's chagrin. The priestess thought that it would be a good change for the boy. That maybe doing some honest work would make him a better person.

…it didn't.

And someone had killed the Druid girl who Arthur had met briefly on that fated day. Freya was the daughter of the Druid family Mordred had been given to. Her parents couldn't say exactly who'd killed her. Seeing Mordred now, Arthur wouldn't have been too surprised if the boy was at fault. Yes, he was younger than Freya and it seemed like a nonsensical conclusion, but the young King could sense something very wrong with the boy. He could see that Merlin saw it too.

Nimue tried to see past the darkness in her child, but her affection for Merlin weakened her resolve over time. She sided with her long time lover, for he was the father of her children and she always found Merlin's judgment to be sound.

Merlin had pled to the Old Religion to give Freya, her life cut tragically short, a second chance at life. She was reborn as a spirit. She looked like the same young girl on the cusp of womanhood she had been when she'd died.

Merlin asked his daughter, Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, to look after the child.

And so it was, a decade after Arthur had been crowned King, Merlin took him to the Lake so that Viviane could give him the magical sword, Excalibur. Freya had been there as well, smiling softly as she herself gave Arthur a handmade crown of red and gold flowers. She had giggled as she had set it on his head, Arthur bending forward to give her better reach.

Arthur could see that Viviane was quite fond of Freya and it was a reassuring sight to see that out of a tragedy, happiness could be found.

But the truth remained – Mordred was a troubled boy.

By the time Arthur and Morgana were sixteen, Mordred had been in Camelot for almost four years.

Mordred was fourteen years old and he was beginning to truly bother Morgana.

One such incident had been the night of a feast. Arthur and Morgana had slipped out, which was just short of miraculous considering Arthur was King and Morgana certainly let her presence be felt. She enjoyed flirting with the men of the court, which bothered Arthur. He wasn't quite sure why. But then again, what did he have to be bothered about? After all, he did notice her green eyes settle upon him every so often (not that he was doing the same thing, definitely not), and then there were times like these where they'd go off by themselves.

This time, the both of them were a bit tipsy and Morgana couldn't stop giggling as she pulled Arthur into an alcove.

"We have to be quiet," she whispered, smiling widely. She put her finger to her lips and then pressed the same finger over Arthur's lips.

"We should," Arthur breathed out.

And then, Morgana pushed him against the wall and then her hands were all over him, her mouth on his and her fingers grasping his shirt.

Arthur kissed her back then he moved lower to trail kisses along her neck. Morgana moaned softly, her hands gripping his upper arms.

They heard footsteps in the hallway and they hid themselves further, so that they wouldn't be seen.

Morgana snuck a look and covered her mouth with her hand.

"What? Who was it?" Arthur was curious to know.

"My father. Oh he's going to kill you!" She announced, sounding far too amused.

"No, he won't," Arthur said confidently. "I'm the King."

"And he can kill you with his mind," Morgana retorted, poking him in the chest.

"Morgana!" He said in a loud whisper, affronted.

She explained further, "He told me that if you do anything untoward with me, that he'd make you suffer unimaginable pain…for a short period of time, to be fair."

He stared at her. "Are you serious?"

She nodded at him. "Very much so," Morgana said, smiling a little _too _much.

"No, you're not. I'm not an idiot," He refuted.

That didn't sound like Merlin at all…but then, did Arthur even know how the Dragonlord would act when it came to someone being with his daughter?

…

Oh gods…a sword was _nothing _against magic…

Morgana rolled her eyes. She shook her head at him. "Oh, _honestly_, Arthur. _Of course_ I'm teasing you. And if you would like to know, my father does care for you a great deal," she informed him.

Then she paused, appearing to debate her next words. Morgana told him, "He trusts you. You wouldn't do anything that would cause my father to lose his good opinion of you, surely. If you do like him as I imagine you do."

Arthur wouldn't admit that his heart fluttered at the pronouncement that Merlin did care for him greatly. He could not deny his pleasure at hearing those words. And no, he wouldn't dare do anything that would result in Merlin being mad at him. He couldn't bear the thought if it did ever come to that.

When Arthur remained silent, Morgana noted, "Either way, I'm sure you have a high pain tolerance. Great warrior like you, of course you do," She assured him, winking at him.

Then she started kissing him again.

"You're not helping," he muttered in resignation.

"I'll be there to nurse your wounds," Morgana answered softly, smiling at him as she caressed his cheek.

They did go to Arthur's chambers to have a more private place to be together. They were usually careful, never venturing as far as doing the actual act. It was heavy snogging most of the time.

Stumbling into the dark of his chambers, they didn't see that Mordred was in the room until they fell back upon the bed.

Morgana was incensed and ran her half-brother out of the room.

She returned to Arthur's chambers, frustrated and annoyed. She told him that Mordred was jealous of Arthur for being close to her as Mordred harbored a growing affection for her himself. But the affection disturbed Morgana as it was the sort of affection that verged on obsessive. And Mordred was her half-brother after all, even if they had just met a few years ago. It was just all _wrong._

Arthur knew that it was best not to argue with her when she was in this mood. He let her drag him outside because she felt like looking at the stars. The peace and beauty of the night made them forget, at least for a short while, of Mordred's unwanted intrusion.

Arthur grew to hate Mordred as much as Morgana and Merlin did. The blond vowed to himself that one day, he would make sure Mordred wouldn't trouble another person ever again.

* * *

"She can't stay here," Morgana asserted, her hands gripping the white sheets tightly, twisting them.

"Morgana, sweetheart, that doesn't have to be the only option," Merlin entreated. He was standing, holding the child in his arms as he paced the room.

Arthur sat by her bedside, his hands covering his face. He was exhausted. He didn't know what to do.

"Father, you heard as clear as day what Mother discovered about the child," she said briskly. "She needs to start her magic training as soon as feasibly possible. The best place for her is with less people, with Mother. I will go with my daughter as well, of course. I can not bear to be in Camelot any longer." She gave Arthur a pointed look at that.

"Don't I get a say?" Arthur cut in, frustrated.

Morgana looked to him. "No, she'll be a danger to you. And it's your fault."

"Morgana, I've told you-" Arthur began tiredly, his brow knitted in consternation.

"This is not the time-" Merlin interjected sharply.

But Morgana persisted nevertheless. "Do you see, Arthur, do you see what you've done? You – I know you have never, never…not as I have loved you. We all know where your heart lies," she said bitterly, the turmoil of her emotions after giving birth guiding her words.

Arthur had opened his mouth, ready to defend himself when Merlin intervened.

"Enough! The both of you!" Merlin admonished them sternly, not wanting this to turn into a full-fledged argument.

The baby started to cry and Merlin focused on shushing the child, trying to get her to settle down.

Morgana glared at Arthur and said softly, but her words were tight with tension. "I named her Kahlan. She is_ my_child, not yours. Never yours."

Merlin looked ready to say something, but a stricken Arthur abruptly stood up and left the room.

**502 AD**

Not long before Morgana planned to leave Camelot with her and Arthur's daughter, an 18-year old Arthur ventured into Merlin's chambers. He was feeling anxious.

He needed to speak to Merlin privately, to make sure that the two of them had an understanding. That Merlin didn't hate him.

When he entered Merlin's room, Arthur found his advisor writing in his journal, and rubbing his brow as if in thought. He was muttering to himself, looking frustrated – about what, Arthur wasn't sure. Hopefully it wasn't about Morgana's predicament because then, certainly, this was not a good time for Arthur to discuss the matter with him.

Merlin looked up when Arthur cleared his throat. The Dragonlord set aside his journal and then gave the blond his full attention. His hands were clasped together upon the table. He did not show any sign of being displeased with Arthur, and he knew how bad of an actor his advisor was. So maybe this talk wouldn't be so harrowing.

"Your Majesty, to what do I owe this visit?" Merlin inquired lightly.

The dark-haired sorcerer waved his hand so that the chair across from him moved a few inches from the table. He invited Arthur to sit down upon it.

Arthur frowned, scratching the back of his head. "I think…considering the new situation now, that we can be a little less formal. And no one else is here after all…"

"Shall I call you son, then? Is that what you'd like?" Merlin asked him, a mischievous smile forming on his lips.

Arthur was startled for a moment, horrified. "No, no, gods no… just 'Arthur.' Just…this is what I came here to discuss with you. Are you okay with what I did with Morgana? And the child?"

Merlin appeared to contemplate what Arthur had said and answered, "I've had months to come to terms with this – ever since my daughter became pregnant. I thought you knew how I felt about the situation."

Arthur nodded. "Yes, but now… with Kahlan being born, and Morgana set to leave with her…I just wanted to see if anything has changed. I told you that I'm sorry for what I've done and..."

His advisor held up his hand to halt the king's words. "Arthur," Merlin began quietly.

"Yes?" He said, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

"I have had some time to accept this predicament. You have apologized to me and Morgana numerous times. I know you're remorseful. That said, I certainly do not wish that Kahlan had never been born. No matter how she was brought into this world, I remain a happy grandfather. What is done is done, and I hope that when Kahlan grows older, she will be proud of who her parents are." He gave Arthur a small smile.

"I was thinking of marrying Morgana…" Arthur ventured.

Merlin shook his head. "I know you believe it to be the right gesture, but my daughter has obligations to attend to that are beyond Camelot. It is just as well that she returns home to Avalon. Nimue will help her to raise the child and prepare Morgana for her duty."

Arthur's brow creased. He didn't know what Merlin meant. "What duty? Morgana hasn't told me anything about it."

"If Morgana wishes to tell you, she will. It is her decision," He told him, quietly shutting down any more inquiry on the subject. Merlin raised his voice as he continued on, "As far as her future prospects, you know how Morgana is. She does not fancy being sold like a prize."

Arthur recalled Morgana's defiant words when he had first met her:_ "I do not plan to be beholden to any man."_ Even now, she abided by those words with a passion.

Merlin said confidently, "I have faith in my daughter that she will be fine. But if she so chooses, then she will be able to marry someone of magic kin. Matters of matrimony work differently among the magic community. It is not so much about the woman's honour as it is about her magical pedigree – how great a magic she could provide to a child she bears. So, that shouldn't be a problem for her."

Arthur sighed, and for wont of needing something to focus on, he circled his finger about the rings on the dark wooden table. He said, his head down as he felt nervous about his next words. "The whole matter was an accident. I did not wish to have a child with Morgana, at least, not now. But I—I _do_ care for her. I love her."

"Arthur, I know your heart is in the right place, but my daughter has told me that she loves you more than you do her. That your heart belongs to another."

Merlin gave Arthur a meaningful look.

"Merlin, I-"

Merlin interrupted him, "I know, but now is not the time. I will do my best to convince Morgana to allow you to be a part of your daughter's life. I am sure that once everything settles down, she will agree to it."

"Morgana knows how I feel about her. How can it be wrong to love more than one person?"

"You are not the first to feel an attraction for me, Your Majesty," Merlin said, his words almost cold to Arthur's ears.

"But I—this _is_ different," Arthur insisted.

"Is it?" Merlin asked idly, a wandering question asked to no one and everyone.

Arthur wasn't sure how to answer that.

Swiftly, and with intent, his advisor changed the subject, "You are a good man, My Lord. You are doing an admirable job of making Camelot a great kingdom. Now your mother has been ill for some time as you well know. She wishes that you marry so that what happened with my daughter will not be repeated with another woman. You are already eighteen, and it's time to seriously consider having a legitimate heir, a son. There is the Lady Guinevere of Gwynedd…" He suggested.

Arthur tried not to make an undignified, exaggerated sigh. One of his best knights and good friend, Sir Lancelot, was particularly fond of Lady Guinevere.

But if he had to marry for the sake of Camelot and to make his mother happy (at least that she would see him married before her ailment took an irreversible turn for the worst), then he would.

Though Arthur was certain that the only woman he'd ever truly love would be Morgana…

She was the mother of his child after all.

* * *

Arthur and Merlin looked out from the castle ramparts as Morgana with Kahlan in her arms left Camelot in a horse-drawn carriage. A small escort of knights went with her at Arthur's behest. Morgana's mother, Nimue, was with her as well to help look after her granddaughter on the journey home.

Arthur had asked Merlin then, just a curious query, as to why he stayed with Nimue after her infidelity.

His advisor looked him right in the eye and said to him, "Because she is the mother of my children. And while she is a flawed woman, I know that she loves me. I can see it in her eyes. She takes my advice to heart, and she cares for me no matter my own flaws."

Arthur was baffled. "Your flaws…what do you mean?"

Merlin only smiled thinly at him. "I must go check on Kilgharrah, Your Majesty-"

"It's Arthur…" Arthur corrected abruptly. "Merlin, would you please just…"

But the Dragonlord just squeezed his shoulder in a friendly way and said, "Take care of your heart."

And then he walked away from the King.

* * *

Morgana had wept suddenly. It was the first time she had come to visit Arthur at Camelot with their daughter, who was just starting to crawl.

Arthur had taken Kahlan in his arms, removing her from Merlin's grasp. The Dragonlord positively doted on his granddaughter and he was always ready to lay his attentions on her. Arthur knew that his advisor even made trips back home, to Avalon, to check on his granddaughter.

Arthur held his daughter in his arms and Kahlan gurgled happily. Her tiny hand reached out to grasp one of Arthur's fingers. Her grip was strong as she held on and Arthur could already tell that she had a lot of Morgana in her, and it wasn't just her dark as night hair.

But his daughter had his blue eyes, and they almost twinkled as she looked up at him. Arthur couldn't resist cooing back at her, pleased to see that she hadn't started crying.

But upon watching Arthur interact with their daughter, Morgana had inexplicably burst into tears. She rushed out of her father's rooms.

Arthur had exchanged a puzzled look with Merlin who had advised him to go after her. He'd given Kahlan to Merlin and then left to find her.

He found Morgana in his chambers. Arthur had passed the Lady Guinevere, who he would soon wed, in the hall and she pointed the way for him. An understanding look graced her face at her future husband's predicament. For that, Arthur had been eternally grateful. Then again, she had Lancelot.

"Morgana, what's wrong?" He asked her upon entering his chambers. She was standing by the window and when Arthur reached her, she spoke.

"She's just…" Morgana paused, sighing. "I can see how well Kahlan takes to you, and it's just so hard. She can be a danger to you, Arthur. And you're too important to lose."

"We will find a way to handle it," Arthur reassured her, doing his best to inspire confidence within her. "Kahlan will grow up at Avalon, and she will visit here. I won't be alone with her…I know you'll make sure of that. I do ask that at one point, I do have some private time with my own daughter."

"When my mother and I feel that she has her power under control and Kahlan feels comfortable around you, then yes." She nodded.

"Right…then, see, it'll be all right, Morgana. I'll either be with you or Merlin at first…"

"Or my mother," Morgana contributed slyly.

Arthur frowned. "Maybe not Nimue."

Morgana shook her head, looking amused. "Oh, the look on your face!"

"I'm positive that your mother contemplates tying me up and placing me on a stone altar, to see what sacrificing me to the Old Religion will give her," Arthur asserted.

"Actually," Morgana teased, smiling at him, "Father advised her against doing that."

Arthur stared at her. "That was not funny."

"It was a little…" she remarked, grinning at him now.

"Morgana!" Arthur exclaimed, affronted at her laughter at his expense.

Somehow, they ended up tackling each other to the ground. Morgana was on top of Arthur, and the both of them looked at one another before she kissed him.

* * *

Kahlan was sixteen years old when Arthur took her to visit his mother's grave. It marked the first time that Arthur had spent time alone with his daughter. Bandits had waylaid them, which was not too worrying as the group had appeared to be incompetent fighters.

Kahlan knew how to fight with weaponry. She had been taught to do so at Avalon where she lived with her mother and grandmother, that is, Nimue (privately, Arthur called her the witch from hell because he always felt uneasy around her). His daughter always had two daggers on her person. She had her magical abilities as well, but Arthur had been expressly told by Morgana that their daughter was more prone to using her Confessor power over other magicks. It was her natural weapon against any foe.

Unfortunately, Kahlan had been spurred to use her power on pure instinct. One of the men was about to attack Arthur from behind and his daughter had wrapped her hand around the man's neck, unleashing her power.

Turning quickly, Arthur watched as the man's eyes went black for a moment before returning to a muddy brown color.

Wavering slightly in place as if she were about to faint, Kahlan looked at her father. She looked shocked at what she had just done in front of him. He returned the look in kind, unsure how to take it. He knew what could happen, but to see the Confession before his eyes was a different experience entirely.

The man, under Confession, drew his sword on Arthur, ready to attack.

"Stop it!" Kahlan exclaimed.

"But he was going to hurt you, mistress," the man said.

Kahlan again told him to stand his ground, and the man did.

The few bandits who remained saw what was happening and wizened up rather fast. "She did something to him! She's a witch!" They cried in alarm.

Arthur saw his daughter give him a quick nod, her hands trembling, but her expression was sure.

Feeling like a heavy weight was bearing down on him; Arthur wielded his sword and killed the Confessed man.

The now smaller group of brigands scattered, fearful of Kahlan's power, as they distanced themselves from the young woman.

Later, Arthur reassured his daughter that this did not change how much he loved her. That Arthur had known and accepted that he would, at one point, see what she could do. Kahlan told him that she hated how she had to fear love because of her power. Arthur's heart ached for his daughter, but not long afterwards, Merlin had assured him that Kahlan would be all right. Merlin would make sure of it.

_Present_

Arthur was left gasping for breath, and made sure to take deep breaths: breathe in, breathe out, _calm down_, he directed himself.

Then he couldn't resist swearing out loud. The overwhelming experience called for it.

Once Arthur felt reasonably calmed, he saw that the call went to voicemail. Sitting inside his car now, Arthur listened to the message and the female voice he heard on the other end was unmistakable.

She sounded confident as her voice took on a story-telling vibe, the tone haunting.

The message was:

"One day, long ago, my mother was sitting in the window looking out on the snow that covered the land and wishing for a child to grow inside her belly. Suddenly she pricked her finger with a needle and her blood fell into the snow and she looked and she thought to herself, 'I would like a little girl with hair as black as the ebony window frame and skin as pale as the snow and lips as red as blood.' "

So yes, Morgana did bear a striking resemblance to Snow White, but quoting "Snow White: A Tale of Terror"? It was startling enough to hear her voice once again after all these centuries. Hearing her go into her usual twisted tales (she enjoyed them far too much to be healthy) was a little too much.

He recalled Morgana telling him the story of the little blonde girl named Ella. She had used the same haunting tone of voice. She told him how the girl's stepmother was envious of her stepdaughter's beauty. The older woman could not bear to look at her. And so one night, Ella's stepmother had given her a strong sleeping potion before the young girl went to bed. When the girl was fast asleep, her stepmother took a sharp knife and slashed Ella's throat, killing her stepdaughter.

Arthur remembered staring at Morgana in stunned horror during the tale. Morgana told him that she tried to forget the story, but then when she dwelled on beauty such as now, she could not help but recall the dark tale. The story of Ella reminded her of the price of being preoccupied with one's looks. That if she would not temper her vanity, then she would do something regrettable afterwards.

Frankly, Arthur had been surprised that Morgana's father, Merlin, had been the one to tell her the story. Merlin had told her that it served as a warning for Morgana against being overcome with selfish desires. Arthur wondered if Nimue was rubbing off on Merlin because such a morbid tale would not be uncommon for the priestess to tell.

Leave it to say, Morgana was no stranger to telling dark-laced stories.

Arthur could barely remember the last time he had seen Morgana. He had a vague memory of hearing her voice telling him that he should rest now, that he was at Avalon. Arthur recalled a sense of deep calm envelop him as she spoke to him soothingly. But that was all he could remember.

He then saw that he just received a text message from the same number he'd received the voicemail from.

It said: I have a message to pass on to you. From Merlin. I'm at your house now.

Arthur debated whether to call her back, demand of her how she obtained his mobile number, but in the end, he clicked off his phone and drove out of the parking lot.

Better to talk to her face to face. He was a bit surprised that he was so quick to believe that it was Morgana on his mobile. She hadn't said her name and he didn't know if her voice had changed…or what sort of person she was now. After all, it was centuries after Camelot.

But she had a message from Merlin…and Arthur needed to know. If there was a chance that he could see the man again, then he would not question it.

Either way, he had to go home regardless…so this could be an unfunny prank or Morgana could be giving him the contact he needed.


	3. Hello, old friend

Thanks to all those who have expressed interest in this story. :) I'm posting this a little late this week, but roughly in about a week, I'll post the next part. There will be 2 or 3 more parts after this (depends on how things divide up ;)).

**This Chapter:** Arthur talks with Morgana and then he sees Merlin for the first time since the days of Camelot.

* * *

Upon seeing Morgana sitting in his kitchen, Arthur had a hunch that she wasn't reincarnated. She looked about the same age as him, maybe a little younger, and her outfit gave off the impression that she had come straight from the time of Camelot. She was wearing her velvet green hooded cloak that Arthur had seen her often wear in his past life. Underneath, Morgana had on a green dress and brown dressy boots. A delicate gold necklace with a bird ornament attached to it graced her neck.

"Hello, Arthur. It's good to see you," she said softly, sounding a bit unsure. Her hands were clasped together and he noted a hint of tiredness in her green eyes.

"Morgana," he said with a sigh. He sat down across from her. "I assume that Merlin's message is not a good one? I would have liked it better if you visited me just to see me. But _no_, you've been living all this time and you didn't think to see me once. Only when it's absolutely urgent. And Merlin, well…"

Morgana held up her hand to halt his speech. "Arthur, please. I know you've remembered recently. You are being monitored-"

"Monitored? _Monitored?_" Arthur uttered incredulously. "And you've got it wrong. I remembered everything just when my mobile rang, when _you _called me. I've had no time to get a grip on things."

Morgana looked taken aback. "Oh, well, that's what I meant by recently," she said weakly.

Arthur stared at her. "Rubbish 'monitoring' system, if you ask me," he said drily.

"I'm sorry, all right?_ Very_ recently then if that suits you better?" She corrected with a hint of exasperation.

Arthur rolled his eyes, but he didn't comment.

"We thought it best that we wouldn't interfere in your current life – no more than making sure you were doing all right. As you said, you didn't remember until tonight. It would have been difficult for us to visit you when you were unaware…" she drifted off.

Arthur had to grudgingly admit that Morgana had a point. He wouldn't have known what to make of her or Merlin if they had talked to him while Arthur didn't have his past memories. It would have definitely been awkward.

Morgana continued on, reasoning out, "We were occupied with other matters as I'm sure you were."

"Right, well, I do appreciate you coming to see me. I don't know if I can handle bad news now while I'm still trying to sort through this mess in my head," Arthur remarked, pointing at his head.

Morgana looked apologetic. "I'm sure that you'll work through your past memories. You just need to give it time," she said reasonably.

Arthur looked at her like she had gone mad. "You tell me. Will I have time to adjust or will the bad news you're going to tell me hinder me in that regard?"

Morgana bit her lip then, looking undeniably uncertain. He had her there, Arthur knew it. The message from Merlin had to involve Arthur's former life somehow. Of course it did. And any hope of quietly working through his past life as King of Camelot flew out the window.

Morgana cleared her throat. She offered, "We can set up an arrangement. After this situation is over with, of course. We could help sort through your old memories and provide you with support."

Arthur nodded, his eyes piercing hers. "I'll hold you to that."

"Good, that's settled," she said gratefully. She looked rather relieved. "Now I need to tell you about Avalon."

He peered at her weirdly. "What about Avalon? Isn't that where you grew up?" Arthur said. "I do remember after my final battle with Mordred…I heard you speak. You told me I was at Avalon. But that's all."

Morgana enlightened him, "There is more to Avalon than meets the eye," she began. "The Avalon I knew when I was a young girl was only a fraction of the true Avalon. Not long after Kahlan was born, I've been ruling Avalon and preparing her people for the day they will be needed. The land is the only all-magic community still thriving in this world. I have put a lot of my time and energy in insuring Avalon's prosperity over all these centuries."

"Preparing for what? And are you really telling me you've been ruling for almost 1,500 years now?"

"To reign over Avalon requires stability – meaning the constant of the same ruler as long as the leader is able and willing," Morgana said smoothly, her voice cracking slightly toward the end. Arthur almost missed it. "It was not an easy choice – as I could have given up my immortality if I so wished. Living for such a long time is a tall task. Still, I could think of no better honour than to look after Avalon."

Arthur couldn't help feeling impatient. There was an important piece of information that he was missing, he was certain of it. Morgana wasn't telling him everything.

"Preparations for what, Morgana?" He asked once again.

"It has to do with you," she explained simply. "Avalon and the Once and Future King, as we call you, will always be intertwined," she informed him.

Morgana looked about ready to say more, but she didn't speak further on the matter. She swiftly changed the subject. "As I told you in my message, my father wished me to tell you that Kilgharrah is missing. The Great Dragon was reincarnated at the same time as you were. He has been residing at Avalon since then, but he does venture out sometimes. We can't keep him under lock and key, unfortunately. He is a proud and stubborn creature as you may remember," she said to him.

Arthur understood what she meant. He gave a small eye roll as he remembered Kilgharrah's stubborn personality.

Morgana pressed on, telling him, "The Great Dragon is still bonded to you. You do know that, right?"

"But I was reborn and as far as I recall, I haven't seen any dragons in this life."

She gave him a small smile. "Yes, but what he gave to you in the days of Camelot, the gift of life, still holds true even now. And as is the case, your lives are still connected."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. A tendril of fear swept through him. This was the worst news he could get. If his life was still dependent on Kilgharrah living, and vice versa, then with the dragon missing…if the creature had been captured, if his captors planned to kill the dragon, then Arthur could literally drop dead any second now…. And he wouldn't have a clue when to expect it. The uncertainty was the worst of it. He hated not knowing what was going to happen.

"I could die," Arthur spoke, accusation creeping into his tone.

Morgana gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry, Arthur. My father has been looking after Kilgharrah all these years, of course, as he is the dragon's keeper. This time though, when the dragon left Avalon, he did not return as he usually does. My father was occupied elsewhere, and he told me that he believes sorcerers may have taken the dragon. He discovered that Kilgharrah was missing a few days ago, so it is still early yet. You're alive, so we could only hope the perpetrators are using the dragon as a hostage. Or worst case, biding their time before they kill the Great Dragon."

"Do you think Mordred could have a hand in this? Who else would choose to capture the dragon? He knows about the connection I have with the Dragon. I expect Mordred would jump at any opportunity to kill me however roundabout."

Morgana's expression darkened. "No, it couldn't be him," she said fiercely. "Mordred was denied immortality and the ability to be reborn due to his embracing of dark magic. I have not seen him, and he's most certainly dead as far as I know," she told him.

"Are you aware of what's going on outside of Avalon? There are these books published about me, each a different variation of my life and of Camelot as a whole."

"Arthurian legend?" Morgana inquired and gave a quick nod. "Yes, of course. I know about that. I do have a mobile and I try to keep up with how the outside world has progressed since Camelot. It wouldn't do to be ignorant," she said reasonably.

She showed him her mobile, which was a deep purple color and had the word "Avalon" written in silver across the back of it.

"Yes, well…then you know that the stories mention Mordred. Some stories make him a sympathetic character…and it could only take one person to have the impetus to bring him back. Some people worship the devil after all. Mordred wouldn't be much of a stretch," he suggested darkly.

Morgana bit her lip, uneasy about the idea Arthur was presenting.

"Let's hope that isn't the case. I trust that my father will resolve this situation and everything will turn out fine. He told me that he will come to see you tomorrow. Then the both of you can discuss where to go from there."

"Searching for Kilgharrah then?" Arthur remarked.

"Yes, my father will know what has to be done. You shouldn't worry. I'll stay here with you until he comes."

"And what…check to see if I'm still breathing when I go to sleep? It sounds like babysitting to me," he huffed in exasperation.

"I missed your wit," Morgana said drily, rolling her eyes.

"The situation asked for it," Arthur shot back.

Morgana sighed and shrugged. "It isn't easy to hear, but we have to tread carefully now."

Arthur nodded, reluctantly agreeing with her because what else could he do? He felt especially tired all of a sudden. Being told that you could die any moment now could do that to a person, he mused.

"I'll make some tea," Arthur declared then and he stood up.

"So what's with that voicemail – the Snow White bit?" Arthur brought up after he had set the tea on the table and Morgana did her part and took care of the biscuits.

Frankly, the blond wouldn't have been surprised if she had made quick work of figuring out what was where before he'd arrived. She never turned down the opportunity to investigate her surroundings – out of sheer boredom or natural curiosity; both were likely in this case.

Morgana gave him an odd look. "What?"

Arthur waved his hand. "'I would like a little girl with hair as black as the ebony window frame and skin as pale as the snow and lips as red as blood.' Ring a bell?"

Morgana's lips twisted. She looked bemused. "Oh, well, actually, my mother told me that she was thinking those things before I was born. That I was the answer to her wishes: a girl with black hair, pale skin and red lips…"

Arthur felt unnerved at that, but then…he could really see Nimue thinking that. She was a good woman, but most of the time, that quality was inexorably overshadowed by her dark, intense moods. Merlin was the exact opposite. He always tried to look on the brighter side of life and he was never without a smile or a kind word. From what Arthur had witnessed of the relationship between his former mentor and the priestess, it was an 'opposites attract' sort of relationship.

"So…the finger pricking, blood on snow, the ebony window frame…" he ventured.

Morgana nodded. "Yes, that's how my mother came up with the idea. Viviane had fair hair and so Mother wanted a girl with dark hair and light eyes next. I don't know why I left you a message like that, now, going back over it. Just the text would have sufficed. I was in the mood, I would say. And the message certainly made you listen, didn't it?"

"Yeah, that's one way to put it. You do know that everyone believes the Brothers Grimm came up with those lines? With that version of events for Snow White?"

"They haven't met my mother yet then. I assure you that she came up with it first. Actually, I remember having a dream a few weeks before Kahlan was conceived…my mother was sitting by the window, black window frames of course, watching the snow fall outside, and she had pricked her finger-"

But Arthur interrupted her, looking at Morgana in disbelief. "Are you suggesting that dream was telling you about Kahlan?"

Morgana shrugged. "At the time, I didn't think much of it because it was my mother in the dream. I assumed that the dream was looking into the past, to see my mother before I was born, or even conceived. I didn't realize until later that it could have been an omen that I would become pregnant not even a month after the dream. I was young then; I didn't look into it too deeply."

"For all the good I did, I still made mistakes," Arthur muttered resignedly.

Morgana tried to reassure him, the many years she had lived granting her wisdom. "Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is that you _learn _from them. And it all worked out well enough in the end. Despite the…" she paused, trying to find a nice word to use (other than taint or curse that Arthur had remembered being bandied about when Kahlan was young), "despite the gift our daughter has, she has grown up to be a good woman. I know I did the right thing by training her early and insuring that she could control herself."

"She's immortal then?" Arthur said shrewdly, catching the present tenses that Morgana had used.

Morgana inclined her head, her hands wrapped around her tea cup. "Yes, she is. Kahlan will succeed me as the ruler of Avalon. She will take on my current title as the Lady of Avalon."

"And does she still have," Arthur began and gestured with his hand around his neck. He waved his hand at Morgana. "—that power?"

"Yes, Arthur," she answered with a tired sigh. "She is still a Confessor. We can not remove that power from her. We have certainly had many years to try to find a solution, but it is as much a part of her as my magic is a part of me."

Arthur rubbed the back of his head, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I'm sorry. If I had known that could happen…"

"I know I blamed you at first, but I was just as complicit in the act as you were. True, we were both rather tipsy and quite foolish at the time, but I wanted to be with you all the same. It was my Mother who told me, afterwards, of an old story passed down amongst sorceresses about the consequences of bedding a man before marriage. That the repercussions were far more damaging for the sorceress' offspring than it would be for a non-magical female. That an unpleasant curse would be placed on the child. And you know what Kahlan could do. At least she can control it – well, except when she sleeps with another man," she said to him.

Arthur was well aware of what Kahlan was capable of doing. It was a hard thing to accept, but it was the only option he had in his past life. To accept his daughter's condition, or pretend she was never his, but Arthur never saw that as a choice – he could never denounce her.

Morgana continued on sadly, "I wished she had told me about that before we had slept together, but what is done is done."

Arthur agreed with her. He didn't regret Kahlan being born though. No matter how she came into this world and the supposed curse on her, he had still loved her.

After all, hadn't he himself been saved by Kilgharrah, by the Dragon giving him a part of his heart? And if Morgana was right, then the gift was still a part of him even in his current life. That made him different, imperfect in a way…it didn't compare to the magnitude of his daughter's condition and how drastically it affected her life, but Arthur understood the feeling of being different than others.

He remembered the first time he had seen his daughter place a man under her power, or Confess him as was the more correct term. Kahlan had only been sixteen years old. She had Confessed the bandit, one of a group that had waylaid them on their journey to his mother's grave, to prevent the man from attacking Arthur from behind.

"How is she now? Kahlan?" Arthur asked Morgana.

"Oh, she's just fine. Busy with responsibilities, making sure she knows what to do when she succeeds me. Richard's at Avalon too, you know. I didn't want her to be alone, so I was able to grant him immortality. He will rule Avalon with her."

"I don't think I've seen a happier arranged marriage than the two of them."

"My father did a particularly good job picking Richard, I agree. He knew Richard's grandfather well. Friend of the family is always safest."

"I always thought Richard was crazy for going along with it," Arthur remarked shortly.

"Arthur, she's _your _daughter!" Morgana reminded him fiercely.

Arthur just raised his hand in surrender. "I am_ just_ saying that it takes an exceptionally brave man to marry someone like our daughter…considering how dysfunctional their relationship will inevitably be."

"Oh, seriously, Arthur," Morgana said incredulously. "You make it sound like Richard's going into his final battle instead of being with_ our_ daughter," she placed special emphasis on the 'our' bit as if reminding Arthur that she had every right to smack him.

"They've never-?"

"Of course not. But Richard is fine with the restrictions. He loves her despite them."

Arthur opened his mouth, planning to say something, but he retreated when he saw Morgana sporting a rather intimidating look.

"…are you going to slap me?" He asked her.

"You're insufferable," Morgana replied wryly, shaking her head.

"According to you, I may just die any second, so I _apologize_ if I'm bothering you. You could leave if you want," Arthur retorted.

He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not leaving you, especially now," Morgana said, affronted.

"You've done a brilliant job avoiding me for the past thirty years I've been alive in this life!" He said fiercely, his blue eyes glittering in his anger. "What's stopping you now? And why your father hasn't seen fit to visit me and sent you along instead…"

"He's busy with collecting information, all right? So he has a better idea where to proceed with finding the dragon. My father thought since you and I share a history,"

"Tell me about it," Arthur muttered under his breath. Morgana looked at him sharply, but finished her explanation regardless, "—that it would be best if I met with you."

"…_or_ Merlin is avoiding a potentially awkward reunion with me. Either or, the shoe fits," Arthur countered, waving his hand with a flourish.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "Still in love with him, are we?"

"Morgana, considering he's your father, I don't think we should get into this now," Arthur told her.

"Well, if you _insist_ on bringing him up…" she pointed out.

"I intend on hitting him over the head next time I see him," Arthur declared.

"_Charming_, Arthur, charming," she said drily.

Arthur shrugged. He decided to change the subject, for both their sanities. "So, what is Avalon like? Is everyone immortal there?"

"Oh, it's a great place. It's an island-" Morgana began.

Arthur interrupted, "Yes, I remember you saying it was an island. The 'Isle of Apples' you called it."

"The apples are still there. The weather is always nice and the land is well-cared for. Some might say that it is a paradise," she mused.

"Or a final resting place," Arthur noted. He had been taken to Avalon upon his death after all.

"I suppose so, yes," she said softly. Morgana continued on a moment later, answering his other question, "It is a long, selective process to be granted immortality. Most people on Avalon live to at least a hundred years of age. So that is still a good, long life – even by the standards of the present world you live in."

"I'm assuming you're immortal because Merlin is? It's a matter of genetics?"

Morgana nodded. "And Kahlan as well. We can sort of circumvent the process…"

"Why was I reborn then instead of being considered for immortality? Because, I have to tell you, it's not been fun being left behind like this."

"Are you really that unhappy, Arthur? You were always meant for reincarnation, never immortality. You're "off-limits" for consideration. I'm sorry." Her tone was sincere, but it wasn't enough to appease Arthur.

"That's bloody unfair," Arthur remarked, frustrated.

Morgana wisely changed the subject. "You're working toward being a cardiologist, right? That has to do with the heart, doesn't it?"

Arthur raised his brow at her. "I know you've been 'monitoring' me, but at least give me the illusion that I don't have unseen stalkers, Morgana," he told her.

"Shall I give you a sleeping potion to put you to sleep now?" Morgana offered sweetly. "Then _I _can have a peaceful night."

Arthur glared at her, but decided to relent getting into another argument. It wasn't worth it. He started telling her about what, hopefully, would be his future profession in this life.

* * *

It was near sunrise when Morgana was aware of two new people at Arthur's house. She woke up, leaving Arthur still in a deep slumber. They had both slept on the same bed, as it was big enough, and Arthur had thought it was dumb of them to sleep separately. They had had a child together after all. They never married, true, but still the point remained. Morgana acquiesced, deciding anyway that it was best in these circumstances where Arthur needed to be watched over closely.

She could hardly sleep as she observed Arthur's chest rise and fall, his breath evening out as he fell asleep. She had settled into a spot beside him, and she shifted so that her ear could hear the soothing steady beat of his heart. Arthur had put his arm around her, his eyes closed, so he was doing it by feel alone.

Morgana again wondered if it had been a good decision not to inform Arthur that this would be the last time they would ever see each other. For a good while at least. She had refrained from telling him that Kahlan would succeed her in a few days' time. That Morgana would give up her immortality before their daughter would rule Avalon.

Morgana would die, of course, as a result – the energy from her immortality being given back to the land of Avalon as was her wish. The true beauty of the world was the nature surrounding them. She wanted to give it continued life so that future generations of Avalon would enjoy the natural beauty around them. She had made sure to take her father's advice to heart, to remember where their magic, their immortality came from. They were gifts from nature.

She did not even know if she would be reincarnated. But she had lived such a long life that this chance to have her final rest was very welcome. With what Arthur had to deal with now, Morgana hadn't wanted to give him more to worry about.

And so, she knew she shouldn't have been surprised at her emotions getting the best of her when her gaze fell upon her father and son-in-law in the living room downstairs.

"Oh, sweetheart," Merlin murmured.

He stood up and went to hug her.

"I couldn't tell him. I don't know if this was a good idea," she admitted.

She swiped at her eyes, trying to stop her tears from flowing.

"At least you were able to see him before you go," her father reminded her. "Focus on that, all right? And I'll make sure he'll still be alive when this mess with Kilgharrah is over with."

He led her over to the couch. She sat beside him, Merlin's arm around her and Morgana had her head on his shoulder. She felt so tired, the knowledge of what lay in her near future weighing heavy on her heart. It would be release, to be sure, but she would still leave those she dearly loved behind. It was certainly not an easy thing to do.

"Should we be worried?" Her son-in-law, Richard, spoke up.

Merlin looked affronted. He turned to him. "Oi! I'll have you know that I have plenty tricks up my sleeve."

Morgana raised her head and looked at him. "I have faith in you," she said honestly.

"Thank you," her father said gratefully.

But Morgana wasn't finished.

"…except, you _do_ sometimes go too far. You can not deny that. Promise me you will look after yourself as well? I want you to live through this too," she said with feeling.

"I'm _immortal_, Morgana. I'll be fine," Merlin assured her.

"Considering I'm giving up my immortality very soon, that doesn't sound reassuring," Morgana noted.

"You are just as important as the Once and Future King. Kahlan would be sad to lose you. She's told me so," Richard informed him.

"_Why_ are you both thinking I'm going to die?" Merlin said, exasperated.

"Your self-sacrificial tendencies?" Morgana offered. Her son-in-law nodded in agreement.

Merlin rubbed his forehead. "I shouldn't have even asked," he muttered, not denying or confirming his daughter's words.

"So what information have you gained?" Morgana inquired.

"I found out that Arthur's father, Uther, is behind this debacle. Arthur is most likely unaware of his father's existence in this life. I would assume his mother told him that his father died before he was born or some such similar story. To spare him the pain of the true story. That Uther was still alive and just as unpleasant a person as he was in the days of Camelot."

"Why ever would Uther be behind this?" Morgana wondered. "Does he know of the connection between Kilgharrah and his son?"

"I don't know. Maybe. He has no love for Arthur from what I've learned. He believes that I poisoned Arthur with ideas that magic is a good thing, which makes him a lost cause in Uther's eyes."

"How does he know though? Uther died before he ever met you."

Merlin rubbed his forehead, his brow knitted with ill ease. "Mordred," He answered, sounding quite frustrated about that development. "Uther, who remembers his past life unfortunately, found a way to bring him back to life. And Mordred has most likely informed him of the influence I had on Arthur after his father's death. So, Uther is not too fond of me either, as you can imagine. I think he wants to draw me out by taking Kilgharrah…knowing that I'll be forced to show my hand."

"Arthur believed that someone could have the impetus to bring Mordred back to life. And he was right."

"Yes he was," Merlin confirmed unhappily. "For a man who hates magic, Uther definitely delved into heavy dark magic to resurrect Mordred."

"He was always a nuisance," Morgana remarked in frustration.

"I don't look forward to dealing with him, but it looks like I will have to," Merlin said. He shook his head then. "Anyway, enough of that sour stuff. How was your meeting with Arthur? Did you tell him about your mother?"

"Oh goodness no. I'm leaving that to you. Arthur was never comfortable around her," Morgana remembered.

"Hmmm," Merlin mused. "Maybe it's best if I _don't _tell him. It wouldn't help the situation if Arthur knew that Nimue was still alive."

"Shouldn't he know that Nimue is immortal?" Richard wondered.

Morgana let out a laugh. "Actually, I think Arthur tries not to dwell on it. He's probably intentionally forgotten. Mother was never too happy with his affection for you, Father."

"—and that is exactly why this is best kept secret, Richard," Merlin told him, wagging his finger at him.

"I won't get the chance to tell him either way, but I won't say a word," Richard promised.

He pretended to zip his lips shut and throw away the invisible key over his right shoulder.

"Perfect. I doubt Arthur wants to know about the little row I had with Nimue about the color of the curtains. Or how I had to sit and listen to her talk about how positive she was that she was getting wrinkles. And that's impossible because she has never aged, neither have I, in _centuries_. And then, _then_, it devolved into her believing I've taken on a lover! That she's not good enough for me anymore. Can you believe that?"

"Mother told me that she wants a son," Morgana said. She looked intrigued at the news. "After Viviane gave up her immortality, returning the energy to the Lake she so loved, as well as my leaving soon…"

"Yes, I know," Merlin cut in with a groan.

"You would think after Mordred…" Richard pointed out.

"Ah, but she had _him _with _another _man," Merlin countered. "That egotistical wretch, Alvarr. She wants a son with me. Then this way, she could have a _good _son. Since we all know how _pleasant _Mordred turned out to be," Merlin remarked sarcastically.

Morgana told him, "She told me that she wished for a boy with hair as black as the midnight sky, skin as white as the palest rose, and eyes as dark as an obsidian stone…"

"Everyone will believe the child to be a demon," Merlin pointed out, and Morgana realized he had a point what with the dark eyes. "Your mother, really. Sometimes…" He sighed, shaking his head.

"She's never without ideas," Morgana said with a small smile.

"I did tell her I doubted I could have any more children. I don't think she believed me," Merlin told them sadly. "But enough of that, I think it's time you returned to Avalon with Richard. I trust your talk with Arthur went well despite what you couldn't tell him?" He asked her.

Morgana nodded quickly. "Yes, it went as well as you can imagine. I'm glad I was able to see him again."

Merlin exchanged knowing glances with Richard.

"Oh, very well," Morgana confessed resignedly. "But we didn't argue that much. Honestly, it is not my fault Arthur could be such a child sometimes."

Merlin looked amused.

Soon after, Morgana and Richard made ready to leave. They said their goodbyes to Merlin, who would stay behind. Merlin kissed his daughter on the head, hugging her tightly and reassuring her once again.

As the pair walked to the door, Morgana remarked how strange it was to see Richard without his sword at his hip. Richard told her that he hadn't wanted to draw attention to himself.

It was important, after all, when visiting the world outside of Avalon to blend in with others.

Merlin watched them leave, exiting through the front door. He heard Richard telling his daughter about his trip to Stonehenge and how he could feel the magic even if he couldn't see it. Then they had left the house, closing the door behind them.

* * *

Arthur woke up to the sound of yelling coming from downstairs. He thought it was Merlin, but _what _he was shouting sounded rather odd for him. And the yelling was directed at someone else. Doing a quick check, he realized that Morgana had left his room.

He put on a red shirt and pants, and quickly made his way down the hall.

He heard Merlin yell, "I killed you! You shouldn't even be here! I want you to leave now," Merlin finished in an angry hiss.

Arthur could not see either Merlin or the person he was talking to from his vantage point. And he could not catch the other person's response, but by the sound of the stranger's voice, she was certainly a female. She was speaking in a different language, which sounded akin to the one Merlin used for his spells.

Arthur could never figure out the strange language – Merlin had always called it, 'The Old Tongue' (Arthur had once asked Merlin if he could see the 'the old tongue' taking the words literally. Merlin had looked at him, confused, but then he realized the joke and started laughing, Arthur joining in.). He noticed that Merlin switched to the same language the woman was using, both their voices low now. Like they had realized that they could be overheard and resorted to heated whispers as a result.

Unsure what to do, and feeling reasonably alarmed that Merlin was admitting to murdering someone, Arthur just waited. He sat down on the floor at the second floor landing, his back against the wall and his knees drawn up. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the door opposite him, almost hypnotized by the smooth grains of dark wood.

Arthur rubbed his face wearily. He wasn't sure how to take Merlin's unexpected declaration.

It had grown quieter. Arthur could only assume that the conversation had now  
finished. Deciding that he had wasted enough time sitting here, Arthur headed down the stairs.

Merlin was alone, and whoever had been there had clearly left. He could see Merlin's eyes glowing golden as he concentrated on his spell.

His long ago mentor looked the same as always. He could have been mistaken for a student at uni. His clothing fit with the present time, which was a stark difference from what Morgana had donned – looking like she had dressed up for a Renaissance Faire. Well, at least she had a mobile. Maybe she hadn't felt like putting on a more time-appropriate outfit?

But Merlin was wearing a white shirt with a picture of a knight on his steed, sword at the ready and the black horse pulled back so that it was standing on its hind legs. And he was wearing denim and black Converse trainers. For a man who had lived for as many centuries as he had, Merlin appeared to do a decent job of being aware of the changing times, and adjusting accordingly. Arthur guessed that Merlin was used to the routine by now.

Arthur had to admit it was jarring to see Merlin still so young. It wasn't any easier the second time around. He remembered feeling the same way when he first started showing (and _feeling_) signs of age during the days of Camelot. And the man who had mentored him, the immortal Dragonlord, looked like _Arthur_ should be advising _him._ Only the knowledge of how many years Merlin had lived, and his having two grown daughters and one granddaughter, proved the immortal man's age.

And here Merlin now was, still in his twenties to the naked eye, while Arthur was approaching his thirties (though Arthur personally thought he looked younger than he truly was, let anyone prove him wrong).

Arthur recalled Merlin telling him that he had been granted immortality at the age of twenty-five, and that it was meant as a gift. Merlin had found it a curse, but it had been forced upon him, living forever and being eternally twenty-five, and he could do nothing about it.

But Merlin never went into great detail about why he had been gifted immortality. He'd only said bitterly, "It had to do with some ridiculous prophecy meant to ruin my life." Then Merlin had stared at Arthur as if shocked to see him there, and he declined to go into the matter further. When Arthur asked him about it again, Merlin pretended not to hear him and said that he had to see Nimue about some spell or something… so Arthur hadn't pursued it because he could only take an obvious evasion for so long.

When the Dragonlord had finished his spell, his eyes now closed, and his hands loose at his sides, Arthur spoke. "Merlin?" He asked.

Merlin opened his eyes, back to blue now, and he turned to face Arthur.

Arthur could not miss the frustration in the dark-haired man's expression.

But his smile toward Arthur was genuine. "Arthur, you're alive."

"Yeah, still alive and kicking. Morgana came and told me about the situation. Did she leave?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes, she had to return to Avalon… I—you didn't happen to hear anything, did you?"

"What – you yelling at someone? Admitting to murder?" Arthur ventured.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Merlin said a little too calmly.

And Arthur wondered if Merlin would jump him any second, wielding a knife.

Remove the witness…wasn't that how it always worked on cop shows?

"Who were you talking to? It sounded like a woman," Arthur noted.

Merlin stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Arthur. He was half an arm's length away.

"You don't need to worry about that," Merlin assured him.

"It's kind of hard to forget, Merlin," Arthur pointed out to him.

"Arthur, it was nothing. It isn't important." Merlin sounded on the edge of exasperation now, but he was doing his best to hold it in.

Arthur stood his ground, but he allowed Merlin to lay a pale hand on his cheek.

"Arthur, just relax," Merlin said softly.

Arthur knew what Merlin was going to do, but he couldn't help staring at his glowing, _pure gold_, eyes as he moved to kiss Arthur, soft but sure, on the lips.

And Arthur couldn't for the life of him remember what he was supposed to remember. He had forgotten something, hadn't he?

Merlin smiled at him. He put his hands on either side of Arthur's head, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Arthur had always felt like a child when Merlin had done that, but he figured that Merlin couldn't help but still view him as that little boy, a great responsibility thrust on his small shoulders, he had first encountered centuries ago. Merlin must still think Arthur young considering how many years the immortal man had lived through. Arthur's almost thirty years of life in this reincarnation surely paled in comparison.

"Feeling better?" Merlin asked him after he had pulled away.

Arthur gave him a sardonic look. "Really, Merlin? I don't think I do. According to Morgana, any of you could have visited me during the near thirty years I've been alive…and yet, you choose to 'monitor' me like stalkers! I didn't even know. And then, with Kilgharrah…nice work looking after him by the way," Arthur shot back at him.

Merlin flinched. "Arthur," he began softly.

"And I'm not an idiot," Arthur continued on, not letting Merlin having a word in. "Nimue is still alive, right? Immortal? If she's still around, then why bother seeing me, right? She's all you need!"

"That's enough!" Merlin shouted this time. His eyes flashed golden for a moment and Arthur, startled, stepped back.

"Arthur, I know how difficult it was for you, with how you felt for me, but please _don't _bring Nimue into this."

Arthur gave him a discerning look. "Fine," he said flippantly, still feeling frustrated but letting it go for now. "I need to eat something," he muttered.

Merlin looked at him uncertainly, biting his lip like he was debating telling Arthur something.

"All right," Merlin agreed with him.

He followed him into the kitchen. Arthur prepared himself some eggs and sausages.

From his place at the stove, Arthur resisted a groan when Merlin took it upon himself to investigate his fridge.

"Orange juice?" Merlin inquired, waving said container in his hand.

"Yes," Arthur said.

Arthur sighed as the orange juice container floated over to the table with barely a word from Merlin, the spell as natural to the immortal man as breathing.

Then Merlin became distracted by what else he found in the refrigerator. "Oh! Chocolate milk! That sounds nice."

"Merlin…are you going to eat too?" Arthur asked, feeling like he was talking to a child.

"Well, I suppose so…I haven't eaten in a bit…" Merlin trailed off and nearly exclaimed, "Vanilla yogurt! I think I'll take that and the milk," he said, more to himself, and he removed said contents from their respective shelves and then closing the fridge.

The yogurt container and milk floated over to the kitchen table as well.

Arthur stared at him. "Vanilla yogurt and chocolate milk? For breakfast?" He asked in disbelief.

Merlin tilted his head. A thoughtful look appeared on his face. "You don't happen to have pineapple, do you?"

Arthur told him he didn't.

And, of course, as a result, Merlin conjured himself an entire pineapple. From who knows where, Arthur did not want to know.

"Chocolate milk, vanilla yogurt, and pineapple…that should be good," Merlin said confidently with a nod.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You need bread or something, carbs."

"Oh, right," Merlin agreed.

Merlin was about to open the fridge, but then looked like he had been reminded of something. With a few words, a knife came out of the cutlery drawer and, animated, proceeded to slice the pineapple into pieces. A plate also set itself on the table for the pineapple slices.

Merlin smiled. Arthur managed to look nonchalant. It was just like Merlin to happily use his magic in such a way.

Merlin pulled out the bread. Arthur saw him frown at it.

"What? Something wrong with the bread?" Arthur asked as he finished scrambling the eggs.

"No, oh no," Merlin said quickly.

Arthur shrugged and let it go.

When Arthur sat down at the table, plate full of scrambled eggs and sausage, he stared at the loaf of bread.

"Did you just color my bread in the colors of the rainbow?" Arthur asked him incredulously.

He was about to pour himself a glass of orange juice, but the carton shifted away from Arthur's touch as if he were diseased. Resignedly, Arthur let the orange juice pour itself into his cup.

Merlin hummed at him. "Well, the bread looked dull all white like that. I wanted to make it more interesting."

And Merlin went ahead and dipped a piece of rainbow bread into his bowl of vanilla yogurt. He took the dipped bread into his mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully. He already had a glass of chocolate milk before him, and the pineapple was all cut up, ready to eat.

"Still as half-mad as always, right?" Arthur concluded, shaking his head in bemusement.

"I don't know. Do I seem that way to you?" Merlin asked, looking truly puzzled.

"If you weren't before, surely all those centuries with Nimue has screwed a nut loose or two…" Arthur paused, checking himself. "Er, sorry. I shouldn't have brought her up."

Merlin waved his hand. "Oh no, that's all right. I know that you didn't have the best relationship with her… I never did tell you why I stayed with her, did I?"

"You told me you stayed with her because she was the mother of your children. And that you honestly felt she cared about you despite your flaws. You never told me what exactly those flaws were, but-"

Merlin's eyes darkened momentarily, so fleeting Arthur almost missed it.

Merlin remarked, "I didn't tell you the whole story though… there's more to it than that. Maybe you would understand…"

"Go on," Arthur urged him. He tucked into his breakfast while Merlin adopted a pensive look as he decided where to start.

Merlin began, "When I was growing up, I had these two friends. I know what you're going to think, so don't even say a word – their names were Morgaine and Arthur. The three of us were close, our own little group."

Arthur raised his brow. "_Morgaine_ and _Arthur_?"

Merlin nodded. He rubbed the back of his head in a nervous gesture. "I named Morgana after Morgaine. Viviane was named for an old friend of Nimue's. I did not miss the irony, Arthur, when you spent time with my daughter."

"Oh, they married then?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes. They did. It's funny how life works, isn't it? One moment can change everything…Morgaine," he stopped, letting out a small, tired sigh. "Morgaine was my first love, you see, but unfortunately, I suppose I was never meant for a normal life. And I had to accept that. My calling as a Dragonlord was my priority."

"But how does Nimue come into this then?"

Merlin looked at Arthur carefully. "I always wondered if you were with Morgana simply because she was more…" He waved his hand, searching for the right word, "accessible? Because I turned you away? It would have been inappropriate, to be sure, and well, with my daughter as well…but," he paused, unable to go on further. He gulped down some of his chocolate milk instead.

Arthur felt surprised at Merlin's conclusions. Had it really seemed that way? That Morgana was just option two? While he had never purposefully thought about it, maybe, maybe…a small part of him had felt attracted to Morgana because he knew that whatever love he may have held for Merlin could only be openly accepted as fatherly love, nothing more.

But there was Morgana, Merlin's daughter, who was his age and she looked pretty, which had been an added bonus. And though she was not nobility, at least to the non-magical community, Morgana had still been the daughter of the king's advisor, which was good enough. Though it took some time for the people of Camelot to adjust to magic flourishing once again, there was still a certain prestige attached to being a Dragonlord. And everyone knew Merlin. His name was legend even by that time.

Arthur had been intrigued by Morgana, _just her_, and that had nothing to do with Merlin. Even if, yes, he had held feelings for his mentor, Arthur had resigned himself to not pursuing them. Morgana had challenged him, confused him, and half the time, irritated the hell out of him, but somehow, that's what drew Arthur to her. She was interesting, exciting and different…

But now…in this new life of his, with Merlin (superficially at least) and him about the same age as one another, Arthur wondered if maybe they had a chance now? After this whole Dragon debacle had been handled? Even with Nimue still in the picture…

"Arthur?" Merlin spoke, his voice deceivingly light.

Arthur shook his head. "No, that's not why I spent time with her. Believe me, I would not have spent time with her if I didn't find Morgana enjoyable company… I truly did like her, still do. And I know I told you all of this before," Arthur reminded him.

"Yes, of course. And I also recall telling you that my daughter confided in me that she believed you loved me more than you did her. Is that still true?"

"I—yes," Arthur confessed wearily. Anything else would be a lie. "All right? Now will you just tell me how this all goes back to Nimue?"

Merlin's blue eyes looked him over studiously and then he gave a curt nod. "Nimue is Morgaine's daughter."

"She was the daughter of your first love…" Arthur breathed out. Now, he understood what Merlin had meant by the comparison… Arthur going for the 'easier' choice like Merlin, unable to marry his first love, chose the next best option. This was the last thing Arthur had ever thought they would have in common.

"Yes, we had lived separate lives for many years before we decided to be together. Nimue and I had been married for only a few decades before I first met you in the late fifth century. Oh, has it really been_ that_ long?" He mused distractedly, his lips twisting into a nostalgic smile. Merlin continued on, "I had found out that she had been gifted immortality for saving the lives of one family."

"And what family might that be?"

Merlin gave him a pointed look. "Your ancestors, Arthur. On your mother's side."

"…and yet she dreamed of sacrificing me to the Old Religion?" He asked him in sheer disbelief.

Merlin chuckled softly then. "She was doing that to scare you. I thought you knew that?"

"Merlin, Nimue can do magic. That is enough to keep me on guard. I'm telling you, she is too fond of playing the role of 'dark sorceress.' She's crazy, that's all there is to it."

Merlin gave a long sigh. "I am truly sorry I did not see you before. I didn't want to interfere in your current life. I feel so old, Arthur. I _am _old, and I have to move on…I performed my duty to mentor you when you were King of Camelot. After that, my duties shifted to Avalon and my continued duty of looking after Kilgharrah. I hope that you could forgive me, but I thought it best to leave you to live your life in peace."

Arthur leaned forward, and Merlin looked at him questioningly, before Arthur kissed him on the lips.

"I want you to stay," he asked of him.

Merlin let out a shuddering sigh, pulling away from him. "Arthur, please don't say that."

"Merlin?" Arthur said, puzzled.

But Merlin did not answer him, a faraway look in his eyes like he was remembering a long ago memory…

"Merlin, did you hear me?" Arthur said worriedly.

Merlin shook himself, and finally his gaze settled on Arthur. "Sorry, I was somewhere else," he said apologetically. "Arthur, you know that I have no place in your life now."

"Yes, Morgana said the same thing. But I want you to be a part of my life, Merlin. I am asking you to. Please," Arthur nearly pleaded with him.

"No, I can not," Merlin told him firmly. He took a pineapple slice and ate it, his eyes directed at the table.

"Merlin…" Arthur started.

The Dragonlord gave him a stern look, forcing Arthur to back down. Sometimes, Merlin looked at him with this thundering look, a look that proved Arthur more than anything that Merlin held great power in his hands and it was not wise to test him.

Merlin shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a red wooden dragon ornament.

Arthur watched as the other man laid a gentle kiss upon the dragon ornament before setting it on the table.

But before Merlin could speak, Arthur interrupted him, needing to know, "Merlin, just tell me now. Do you love me? I know you said you did when I was dying at Camlann, but that was an exception, I'm guessing. It wouldn't seem right to say, "I love you, but you know, not in _that _way" to someone who's near death before you," he mused.

"I do care about you, Arthur," Merlin asserted, even though it sounded hollow to Arthur's ears. Care was the easier, less weighty word to use. "And you yourself have said that one can love more than one person, right?"

"That's your answer," Arthur said flatly.

Merlin inclined his head soberly. "You do not know me, Arthur. I regret there are some things I have refrained from telling you. I admit I do not tell them to others freely. Nimue knows because she is the daughter of a childhood friend, and I could not hide anything from her. And of course, Kilgharrah knows as well – a Dragonlord's dragon knows all his human's secrets."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "And Morgana and Viviane? Do they know?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, they don't," he said a bit regretfully. "If you truly knew me, I have doubts that your feelings would remain the same," Merlin said simply.

Feeling unease and an irresistible curiosity settle within him, Arthur sought to question him further. But Merlin held up a hand stopping him. He gestured to the red dragon ornament then.

"If this dragon turns black, then there's a very good chance you'll be dead soon."

"Could you put it any more bluntly?" Arthur told him, rolling his eyes. He nodded at Merlin. "What then? Is it like a magically-enhanced dragon tracker then?"

"No, not exactly. I did magically enhance it, but it only tells me if the dragon is alive and well. That Kilgharrah has not suffered a fatal wound. I am unable to track him because I'm being prevented from doing so," Merlin explained, looking quite irritated at that.

"Did you make the dragon ornament?" Arthur asked him.

**240 AD**

_"But I'm not abandoning you now," Morgaine said fiercely, her green eyes bright. __"Children of Dragonlords, we stay together," she said lightly, smiling at him._

_Merlin returned the smile. She kissed him softly on the forehead. Tendrils of her red hair touched his cheeks, almost tickling them. _

_Morgaine took out a small carved wooden dragon, painted red, then and offered it to him._

_"My father always bemoaned having me instead of a son to pass his talent down to," she told him. Merlin gave her a consoling smile, knowing this quite well. The two of them had grown up together after all._

_"I think that this would mean more to you than to me," she said as he took the carved dragon from her. "When a dragon chooses you, you could use this as a good luck charm. So that your bond with your dragon will be strong and true."_

_"Thank you. I appreciate it. You're too good to me," he told her sincerely. "Tell Arthur that I wish him well, that I wish the both of you well."_

_"And the little ones?" she reminded him gently. _

_Merlin nodded. "Yes, them as well. How many are there now?" He teased lightly. _

_She looked exasperated, ready to hit him. But in the end, she didn't. "Three. I despair of having no girl yet," she said with a sigh._

_"I'm sure you will one day," he assured her. Merlin gave her a serious look. "What about you? If helping me puts you in harm's way…" he started worriedly. _

_Morgaine shook her head, a firm, reassuring smile on her lips. "Don't you worry about me. I will be all right. Arthur will take care of me. You only need to focus on keeping yourself out of danger, okay? I want you to do that for me." She asked of him._

Merlin shook his head. "It was originally a gift from Morgaine. She gave it to me when I was twenty-five. I took great care in maintaining its appearance over the centuries…"

Arthur sighed. Of course, it would be from her. That was why Merlin had kissed the dragon earlier. He knew it was childish to feel jealous…Merlin had lived a long time after all. It was ridiculous to think that he, Arthur, would be the first to fancy the man. Or that Merlin's heart didn't still ache for a long lost love. With all the people Merlin was sure to have met and loved over all those years, Arthur's love life was a cake walk by comparison.

Though, he had to admit that it still hurt a bit.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	4. Merlin's first daughter

We're nearing the end. Thank You to all those who have shown interest in this story. :) I truly appreciate it.

* * *

_Previously..._

Merlin shook his head. "It was originally a gift from Morgaine. She gave it to me when I was twenty-five. I took great care in maintaining its appearance over the centuries…"

Arthur sighed. Of course, it would be from her. That was why Merlin had kissed the dragon ornament earlier. He knew it was childish to feel jealous…Merlin had lived a long time after all. It was ridiculous to think that he, Arthur, would be the first to fancy the man. Or that Merlin's heart didn't still ache for a long lost love. With all the people Merlin was sure to have met and loved over all those years, Arthur's love life was a cake walk by comparison.

Though, he had to admit that it still hurt a bit.

* * *

"You took good care of it," Arthur told him, for lack of anything better to say.

"Thanks," he said, smiling genuinely at him.

"So, what did you find out about where the Dragon is? Do you have a lead?"

"Sort of. Morgana told me you believed Mordred is involved."

"I did," Arthur acknowledged.

"You were right," Merlin confirmed.

"I'm jumping for joy," Arthur said drily.

Merlin gave him a small smile. "It should be all right for now. I think he and his…accomplices will not harm the dragon until we get there. They are using Kilgharrah as a hostage."

"Do you know who Mordred is working with then?" Arthur asked him.

Merlin was about to answer when a blonde woman with dark blue eyes appeared in the room. She was donned in a deep red dress.

"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting," she said a little too sweetly.

Merlin looked at her, a bit of a sour look on his face. "You won't leave me alone, will you?"

"Who the hell is she, Merlin?" Arthur demanded to know, standing up.

"Don't let her near you, Arthur," Merlin warned him. "And you, no sudden moves," he directed at the woman.

"I'm not getting paid enough to do anything to _him_," the blonde woman informed him.

"You didn't hear me then, did you?" she asked Arthur with only vague interest.

"What do you mean, _hear you_?" Arthur asked, feeling a little lost. He sat back down.

The woman looked to Merlin. "Exactly _how_ paranoid are you?" she inquired. She chuckled softly.

"Merlin, can you please tell me what is going on? Who is this woman?" Arthur asked him again, impatience seeping into his words.

The blonde woman looked amused at Arthur's confusion.

Merlin sighed. "This is my daughter, Morgause. She's the first child I ever had. Long before I was with Nimue."

"What?" Arthur uttered. "Why didn't I know? Is she immortal?"

Morgause laughed. "You would love to hear the whole story, wouldn't you? But Father will not tell. Won't you, Father?"

"What do you want, Morgause?" Merlin asked her.

She shrugged. "Mordred pays me in coins like I am a common whore. I do not want money. If you give me what I want, then I will take you and your friend to the dragon."

"I will not forgive you for aiding him to steal Kilgharrah from right under my nose," Merlin said fiercely.

"Yes, yes, we've gone over this. I didn't see the point to it, but I have to say, the dragon is quite talkative when he's bored."

"Merlin, did you know she was a part of this?" Arthur asked him.

"She's a frustrating blight in my past," Merlin muttered bitterly.

He pulled out a deep blue pouch from his pants pocket. Arthur was beginning to suspect that the pants had pockets that were bigger on the inside.

Merlin removed the crystal that was inside the pouch and placed it on the edge of the table. "There. That's what you want, right?"

Morgause stared at him and then at the crystal. She looked uneasy now, almost afraid, Arthur could say.

Why was she afraid?

"Take it. I'm giving it to you freely," Merlin encouraged her.

Arthur watched the staring match between Merlin and Morgause. While Merlin gave her a cool look, Morgause had a more calculating gaze as if she were trying to figure out her father's next move.

With a quick hand, Merlin's daughter grabbed the crystal off the table.

"Thank you," she said to him as an afterthought. She soon peered at the crystal, enthralled by the clear white stone.

Arthur half-expected her to say, "My precious" like the creature Gollum from the Lord of the Rings.

Morgause conjured a black padded chair to sit on a few feet away from the table. She was clearly seeing something of interest within the crystal's depths as she proceeded to ignore them.

"Is that a Seeing crystal?" Arthur asked Merlin.

He remembered Merlin having such crystals in his possession in his former life. To anyone of magic, it showed them the past, present and future if they knew how to use it properly.

Merlin nodded. "Yes, it is. I always have a few on my person. Only a select few have access to the Crystal Caves. Morgause does not."

"And whose fault is that?" Morgause snapped at him, looking up momentarily from her perusal of the crystal.

Merlin glared at her, but didn't answer her directly.

Arthur couldn't deny that this relationship between father and daughter was dysfunctional, to put it lightly. He wished he could find out why though. Witnessing the tension between Merlin and his daughter, Arthur was grateful that he never knew his father, at least in this life. His mother had told him that his father left the family before Arthur was even born. Considering how close-minded and unpleasant his father in his past life, Arthur wasn't too saddened by the loss.

Arthur asked Merlin. "So is she immortal? If it's genetic, then she should be, right?"

"It's a peculiar thing…immortality, with those of my blood, doesn't manifest right away," Merlin began thoughtfully. "Morgause fell ill as a child-"

Arthur could hear Morgause mutter something under her breath, but he couldn't quite catch her words.

"—she was only five, and too young for her immortality to manifest," Merlin continued on smoothly, "She died. Her mother resurrected her and she grew up from what Morgause has told me. Her mother was a nymph, so Morgause must have gained her immortality through her."

"I went through the nymph ritual for immortality," Morgause put in. "And then I made a little trip to this dismal time a year ago. I've not been impressed," she finished airily.

"And you didn't know any of this? That she was here?" Arthur asked Merlin incredulously.

Merlin shrugged. "Sometimes, I miss things. It happens."

"She's working with Mordred, Merlin! For crissakes! And you just missed this little detail…" Arthur said, raising his brow.

Instead of answering Arthur, Merlin turned to his daughter. "Are you working with Mordred?" he asked her.

"Not at the moment, no. I could care less what that brat is doing. His pay is abysmal and I'd get more money through other means. And he is _so_ annoying! Honestly, I can't stand Mordred. He'll probably be mad at me for helping you, but I believe I'm done with him."

"Then why did you help him in taking the dragon?" Arthur demanded.

Morgause shrugged. "I was bored at the time. It was a bit of a challenge, but I am not lacking in power thanks to my parentage."

She looked at Merlin pointedly.

Arthur sighed heavily. "That's just great," he muttered.

"So are we going or not?" Morgause asked, stowing the crystal away in a black purse she had conjured.

Arthur and Merlin put away their breakfast things, and less than fifteen minutes later, they were ready.

Merlin warned Arthur not to trust Morgause, but Arthur had deduced that much. He could also not shake the feeling that Merlin was still keeping something from him. And a part of it had to do with Morgause, he was sure of it.

They departed from the house through magical means. Arthur hoped that Merlin would be able to suspect any foul play. Because if Morgause botched this magical teleportation…intentionally leaving Arthur's head in one place and the rest of his body somewhere else, then well he'd be_ dead _and not too thrilled with Morgause if he ever was reborn again. Merlin may have been immortal, but Arthur was _not.  
_

* * *

Arthur's head was still attached to his body when they arrived at their location. It appeared to a large, empty warehouse. There were runes all over the whitewashed walls.

Arthur couldn't see the dragon anywhere. There was only one door behind them, and Arthur could only assume it was the door leading outside. It didn't look like there were any separate rooms – it was just one big vacant building. He wouldn't be hard-pressed to conclude that the 'warehouse' was built magically because something just felt unreal about it. Like it was never used before except for housing the dragon.

Merlin had conjured dark blue robes to wear over his outfit and had forcibly taken Morgause by the arm.

The blonde woman had looked affronted at that, but Arthur detected a flicker of fear in her eyes.

"Tell me where Kilgharrah is," Merlin said in a low voice, but the tone was unmistakably threatening.

"The dragon has been made invisible to those who we don't wish to see him. I could lift the spell for you."

"Then do it."

"You can't order me around," she said, annoyed.

Merlin's eyes flashed. "I know you'd like to try, so _try_."

Arthur was beginning to realize something…Morgause wasn't just magic, there was something more to her.

_"I'm not getting paid enough to do anything to him,"_ Morgause had said…

_"Don't let her near you, Arthur," Merlin warned him. "And you, no sudden moves," _Merlin had told Morgause…

Hadn't he repeatedly been told how Kahlan could be a danger to him? That he should be careful around her? He felt it in his gut that Morgause had something in common with his daughter, and it didn't set Arthur at ease at all.

And then it was confirmed: Morgause wrapped her fingers around Merlin's neck.

Arthur swore.

"You've got to be kidding me," he breathed out, more to himself than to anyone else.

Morgause was a Confessor, she had to be. And it couldn't be a coincidence that Kahlan, who was Morgause's half-niece if only by blood, was a Confessor too. Arthur had thought it was a curse, but what if it was more straightforward than that? Curses were simply explanations for things people _couldn't_ explain, right?

He was training to be a doctor, cardiologist really, but the point remained – he was supposed to depend on science as the guide to follow. He couldn't continue to believe that his daughter's 'curse' was the product of an old wives' tale brought to life. He should know better than that in his current life. It was 2010 and science had made leaps and bounds since the days of Camelot. Arthur had to rethink the situation. There was no question about that decision.

And if Morgause was Merlin's daughter…then Morgana, _Morgana_…and Merlin was keeping something from him. He was missing a key detail, but it all fell back on genetics, didn't it? What one had in their DNA, their blood…

"Merlin, what are you_ doing_? Are you _mad_?" Arthur voiced out loud. Why was Merlin just letting her have her way? And it looked like Merlin was well-aware of what his daughter was…

"Stay out of this, Arthur," Merlin said sharply, his darkened gaze still set on Morgause.

"Go on," he urged his daughter. "Why don't you go ahead?"

"The things I could do, the power under my command," Morgause mused, looking overwhelmed with the possibilities.

"Because that's what you really want, right? Revenge? That's why you helped Mordred take Kilgharrah, to get me to come to you. But you couldn't wait that long, couldn't you? As soon as I was out of Avalon, you had your chance," he said, peering at her significantly.

Morgause looked perfectly unaffected by what Merlin was saying. Merlin pursued the point further, "And it must have been so tempting for you to travel to the future. To a time where people have long forgotten that magic is real and where you can pass unnoticed without the whispers. Without others knowing how dangerous you are."

"It's all thanks to you," Morgause said softly, her hand still around his neck.

"Then show me," Merlin goaded her.

"Merlin, what the hell?" Arthur exclaimed. He sincerely hoped the Dragonlord wasn't really going to allow Morgause to Confess him.

Morgause laughed mirthlessly. "Guess what?" She said casually.

But Merlin was prevented from responding when Morgause pulled his head toward her and kissed him deeply, and not a little viciously, on the mouth.

She pulled away then and smiled serenely. "I don't do used goods, Father," Morgause told him, smirking at him.

Arthur couldn't believe he had just seen what he'd seen. Putting aside the inherent wrongness of the moment, he couldn't help but wonder what Morgause had meant by used goods.

"How lucky for me," Merlin said harshly. "Show us to the dragon now, Morgause."

Morgause shrugged, acting quite like nothing big had happened. Like she hadn't just been on the verge of Confessing her father. She started walking toward the other end of the empty space. They followed her, Merlin staring darkly at her back.

"Merlin, what did Morgause mean by 'used goods'?" Arthur wanted to know.

Merlin turned to Arthur. "I haven't the faintest idea," he told him. Arthur didn't sense the honesty in his words. Something was off.

"Really, Merlin, what is going on between you and her? What were you talking about when you said Morgause wanted revenge? Revenge for what?"

Merlin sighed, rubbing his brow. "I understand you have a lot of questions, Arthur, but I can't answer them for you."

"Can't or won't? Because from where I'm standing, it's looking like 'won't' now. I am not a child, Merlin. I can handle the truth."

"No, I don't think you can. Sorry," Merlin told him in apology. He gave him a small smile. "I just want to get Kilgharrah back, all right?"

Arthur was reluctant to let the matter go, but he knew this wasn't the ideal time to force the issue.

Morgause had the dragon appear several feet away from them. Kilgharrah was inside a large, sturdy cage. He was sleeping inside the enclosure. Merlin rushed to check on the dragon.

"He's fine," Morgause insisted, "If we had hurt him, you'd know," she said, looking at Arthur.

"Why wait? Why didn't you just kill him without us here?" Arthur wanted to know.

Morgause shrugged. "Mordred wanted to make absolute certain it worked. And that of course required that you come here."

She continued on then, "But I don't agree with Mordred's plan. It's rather pointless, you know? What good will it do? And it's a crime to kill a dragon. There are not many left in this world."

"You chose to work with him," Arthur snapped at her.

Morgause accepted the accusation with a shrug. "Well, _yes_, but I had my own reasons. And now, I have what I want. I don't need to work with Mordred any longer."

"Wait, but you know something, don't you? If you're a Confessor…my daughter is one too."

Morgause just gave him a look. "Oh?" She said in mild interest.

Arthur raised his hands in frustration. He looked over to where Merlin was still by the dragon. The creature was now glowing a bright golden light though the Dragonlord could not breach the bars of the cage. Kilgharrah had not woken up, and whether that was due to an enchanted sleep or he was pretending to sleep, Arthur could not tell. It would be just like the dragon to fake sleep just to avoid conversation.

Arthur saw that Merlin, his back to them, had stilled, one hand wrapped around a bar and the other hand in a tight fist by his side. Arthur was certain that he was listening to his talk with Morgause.

"Merlin, right? It's Merlin, isn't it? If you're his daughter, and then Kahlan is his granddaughter… only women can be Confessors, right? Going by the trend…" Arthur noted.

"I _do_ love deductions," Morgause said. She looked amused.

Arthur tried not to snap at her because of her smarmy attitude. He needed to find this out, and she was his best option now. "You know the truth, don't you? You have to if Merlin's not too thrilled with you being here. You must know something he doesn't want me to know," Arthur concluded.

Merlin was by them before Morgause could answer him. But she appeared too preoccupied with looking at her blood-red painted nails to bother providing Arthur with a speedy reply.

"It doesn't matter, Arthur," Merlin said firmly. "This isn't the time to dwell on it. We have to get Kilgharrah out of here."

Arthur shook his head. "No, this_ is_ important to _me_. Morgause is your daughter, Merlin, and Kahlan is _mine._ And she's _your _granddaughter as well. As Kahlan's father, I want to know the truth, all right? _Just tell me_."

"No," Merlin shut down Arthur with one word.

"My paternal grandmother was a pure Confessor," Morgause supplied, to which Merlin glared at her.

"What do you mean, 'pure'?" Arthur questioned.

Merlin sighed and he rubbed his brow. "I grew up in a time during which a lot of Confessors existed. They were all pure Confessors meaning that their sole active magical power was to Confess others. That's what they were known for, the fear they created, but Confessors including my mother were good people. They had the natural ability to judge others and settle arguments wisely and fairly. They could look you in the eye and know whether you were telling the truth or not. Unfortunately, the good they could do was not," he choked on his words, a haunted look in his blue eyes. "-it wasn't wholly embraced."

"So, it's because of you, because of your mother, that Kahlan is who she is? It _wasn't_ a curse," Arthur reiterated.

Merlin looked unhappy. "You see _why _I couldn't tell you, Arthur? I rather carry the burden than have you accuse me for the rest of your life… that's why I asked Nimue, who knew all this of course, to provide a false reason for Kahlan's condition."

"I'm not mad at you, Merlin," Arthur said, sighing. True, Merlin shouldn't have omitted that fact about his parentage but it was beyond Merlin's control as to who gave birth to him. "None of us can choose who our parents are. I just wish you had told me the truth. Does Morgana even know?"

Merlin shook his head. "I couldn't. I just couldn't tell her. Kahlan doesn't know either."

"So you're a carrier then…but only women can inherit the power? Did you know Kahlan would have it?"

"No, Arthur, I swear I didn't. As a carrier, I have the potential of producing a Confessor, but it is a 50/50 chance. I can not predict whether any daughter of mine will be a Confessor. Morgana and Viviane were lucky as they remained carriers like me and did not test positive for being Confessors. But they still had the half chance of giving birth to a Confessor daughter, as was the case with Kahlan."

"And if Morgana had been a Confessor?" Arthur prompted.

"Then I assure you that I would not have allowed her to come to Camelot. I wouldn't have done anything to endanger you, Arthur. Accidents can happen. Believe me, I was perfectly certain that Morgana was not a Confessor before I let her stay in Camelot and spend time with you," Merlin was earnest in pleading his case.

"Before…" Arthur paused, the magnitude of the revelation hitting him. If Morgana had been…and if they had had Kahlan _then. _"Shit," he breathed out.

Morgause smirked, wiggling her fingers in a somewhat threatening gesture. "Nasty business, Confessing. But it's a nice feeling to know that I could _disable_ either of you in moments."

Arthur wished he had Excalibur on hand at that very moment so that he could wipe off that smirk from her face.

"Why are you here, Morgause? What do you want with me?" Merlin asked her tiredly.

The Confessor went up to him and Arthur hissed at Merlin, "The point is to make her stay _away_ from you."

Merlin gave him an absent smile. "It's truly all right, Arthur. She's no threat to me. Morgause is afraid of me, aren't you?"

Morgause looked indignant. "I am not," she denied. Then she smiled wickedly at Arthur. "But I would love to see the look on your friend's face if I do go ahead with it. What do you think, Arthur?"

"Don't you _dare," _Arthur said fiercely, moving in front of Merlin. "I'll kill you and end it."

She laughed mirthlessly. "But you have no weapon."

Merlin looked honestly amused at Morgause's remark. "Do you really think I'd leave the Once and the Future King unprotected?"

"But…there were whispers…that won't be years, centuries…" she said in disbelief. "The Fae Queen said so."

Merlin smiled thinly at her. "Let me show you then."

And he moved forward and pressed his fingers to her temples.

Arthur was growing more confused by the second. What were they talking about? The Once and Future King was him, yes, he knew that, but other than that, he was clueless.

Morgause looked shocked and overwhelmed after Merlin removed his hands from her forehead. "…that's too much," she uttered, too overcome to say anymore.

"It isn't just in the future, Morgause. It's for _always_ even now. Take heed," Merlin warned her.

"Merlin, what is this about?" Arthur demanded. He wanted to abate his confusion and he _needed_ to know, especially if this involved _him._

Merlin smiled at him, squeezing his shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you," he told him.

Famous last words, Arthur thought to himself.

"Merlin, seriously," Arthur argued, "You _can't_ keep this from me."

"You'll find out when it's the right time, I promise," Merlin informed him.

Arthur was not appeased in the slightest. "All right. One more secret, great. Who is the Fae Queen then? Could you tell me that?"

"She's the one who granted me immortality, effectively chaining me to this Earth until I fulfilled a prophecy."

Morgause laughed then.

"You mentioned a prophecy to me once… that it was meant to ruin your life. Did you fulfill it then?"

Merlin looked tense. "So to speak…I was permanently immortal, you see, until I fulfilled the prophecy. But since I have now fulfilled it, I am now able to give up my immortality if I so desired."

"…and do you want to do that?"

Merlin just looked at him, but he didn't give an answer.

"What was the prophecy?"

"You should have heard what he said to the Fae Queen! Mother was there with the other nymphs and dryads. It was all a good laugh."

"Oh, shut up, Morgause," Merlin grumbled.

"What did you say, Merlin?"

"It was a long, _long_ time ago. I've forgotten already."

But Morgause was eager to talk about it. "He said something to the effect of, "I can not bloody believe you're making me immortal because you need me to mentor some brat! Because, I swear to you, he _will _be a brat if he'll be the son-" but she was stopped from speaking further by a silencing spell Merlin placed on her.

"That's _enough_, Morgause," he said, frustrated. He looked to Arthur. "I was a different man back then…"

Arthur raised his brow. "Was I the brat then?"

"No, _no_…" Merlin denied, but then his shoulders sunk in defeat, "maybe yes, but that was years before I met you."

"And did you still think of me as a brat when you first met me?"

"No, no…no, of course not. I just – you have to understand-"

But before Merlin could say what Arthur had to understand, the Dragonlord collapsed in front of him.

"Merlin?" Arthur said, concerned. He rushed to him before his head could hit the ground. Arthur let Merlin use his lap as a pillow. He noticed that Merlin now had a wide silver bracelet on each wrist.

"My magic. The bracelets are blocking it from me," Merlin moaned.

Then Arthur saw the cause of Merlin's distress. Mordred had appeared.

"Well, well, well," Mordred said, smiling viciously. "What do we have here?"

"Release Merlin right now!" Arthur demanded.

He glared at Mordred. Arthur found it highly insulting that Mordred had the appearance of a boy of fifteen, maybe sixteen years of age. He hoped that Mordred wasn't immortal like Morgana had assured Arthur. If anyone had to die, Mordred deserved to die at least a hundred times over.

"Why it's King Arthur," Mordred smirked. "Don't look like much of a king now, do you? And why I would give you back the only ally you have now? That would be counterproductive for me."

"I killed you once, I can kill you again," Arthur threatened. But he grew increasingly worried as he felt Merlin still against him, his breathing shallow and weak. Merlin's skin was even paler than normal, which shouldn't have been possible, but apparently it was. But Merlin couldn't die though, right? He would survive this, Arthur tried to assure himself.

Mordred smiled mirthlessly. "Soon Merlin will be begging to give up his immortality. He could only live so long without being connected to his magic."

Arthur felt a pressure on his hand, and he looked down to see Merlin gripping his hand. Merlin whispered to him, his words firm, "I won't let anything happen to you."

And then Merlin closed his eyes and his grip slackened.

"Merlin? Merlin? Don't you dare-" Arthur stopped. It was no use. Merlin had passed out.

Meanwhile, Mordred had lifted the silencing spell Merlin had placed on Morgause.

"Morgause, I appreciate you bringing them to me," Mordred said to her, "Now we can really get started."

Arthur shifted Merlin so that his head rested on the floor. He was startled to find a soft pillow, appearing as if out of thin air, and he moved it behind the Dragonlord's head.

He looked up and caught Morgause's gaze. Arthur wasn't sure whether her words were true, that she wasn't working with Mordred anymore. Merlin had said not to trust her, and Arthur had to admit his natural inclination was to put his faith in Merlin rather than Morgause. He had just met her and who knew what her true agenda was. She was probably working for herself now, doing whatever suited her purposes the best.

"I want you to Confess _him_," Mordred pointed to Arthur, looking at Morgause.

Arthur stood up quickly and backed away. "No, that's not going to happen."

Morgause didn't make a move toward Arthur and Mordred looked miffed. "Morgause, did you not hear what I said?"

She looked to Mordred. "Why yes, Mordred, I would love to Confess the Once and Future King and have all of Avalon coming after me," Morgause said sarcastically. "I'd much rather be attacked by a pack of rabid dogs."

"Whatever your father told you is a lie!" Mordred shouted fiercely.

She glared at him. "Don't yell at me, Mordred. I could just as well Confess you, so watch your tongue."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I would. Why, just last week I Confessed a man, made him kill himself by slashing his own throat. It was the highlight of my week," Morgause said with a smirk. "Would you prefer that? Or burning yourself alive? The fire is always nice to look at."

Arthur thought he was going to be sick. Morgause was definitely mad. He didn't know if he'd _want _her to be on his side at the moment.

"You agreed to work with me and _now_ you're not? That wasn't the agreement!" Mordred said indignantly, his eyes flashing molten gold.

She shrugged. "I changed my mind."

Mordred looked furious.

He saw Mordred shout a few words, his arm outstretched, and Arthur fell to the ground, blacking out.

* * *

Arthur woke up, his head throbbing, and he groaned when he saw that he was restrained to a heavy, wooden chair. His forearms were roped tight along the chairs' arms and he discovered it was frustratingly difficult to free himself of the rope. He noticed that Kilgharrah was further away from them, still caged and still in perpetual rest or whatever it was. Arthur had concluded that they must have been moved away from the dragon instead of the other way around. The dragon looked to be in the same location he had been at when he'd first appeared.

A few feet away from him, Arthur was surprised to see Morgause kneeling before Merlin, who was likewise in a chair, but the only restraints on him were those blasted bracelets.

Morgause was talking quietly to him. Then she paused and nodded. She kissed him on the cheek and she stood up.

"What's going on?" Arthur asked, trying to garner their attention. He was feeling particularly annoyed at the moment because everyone appeared to be in on a secret that Arthur had been denied from knowing.

Merlin gave Arthur a tired smile. The Dragonlord was looking a little better. Some color was returning to his cheeks, but he still looked drained, exhausted.

"I was talking to Morgause and we have reached an agreement."

"Well, not exactly..." Morgause refuted and then spoke to Arthur, "but you'll find out soon enough."

"Right, so you're with us? Not that I'm particularly happy about that – do you know what she told Mordred, Merlin? She said she Confessed a man and told him to kill himself."

"By slashing his throat," Morgause added, looking pointedly at Merlin.

Arthur saw Merlin visibly flinch and he wouldn't meet Arthur's eyes.

"Morgause is going to help us for better or for worse. She removed the bracelets from me and replaced them with fake ones to fool Mordred. It may take a while for me to recover, but I should be fine."

"Then can you untie me? The sooner we leave, the better."

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but we need to stay. There are some things that you need to know. And I must tell you all of it now or I'll lose my nerve."

"But this isn't really the best place, Merlin. If you could just return Kilgharrah back to Avalon, and-"

"No, I _can't _wait any longer. And I'm sorry, Arthur, I'm really sorry…" But Merlin couldn't speak any further. He covered his face in his hands.

"Where's Mordred?" Arthur wondered when Merlin fell silent.

Morgause shrugged. "I scared him off, said I'd Confess him if he didn't go. I wouldn't be surprised if Mordred'll return soon. Glutton for punishment, perhaps."

* * *

Mordred did return much to Arthur's chagrin.

When he started in on Merlin being a murderer, Arthur refused to listen to him. Instead Arthur focused on Merlin who was making a point of not paying attention to what Mordred was saying.

"Of course he has killed. I saw him on the battlefield," Arthur countered though the retort was weak. He knew that killing amidst battle was far different than murdering someone in a non-battle situation. But _surely _Merlin would never do such a thing if he didn't have a good reason for it.

Mordred looked amused. "Merlin can't even claim defense as a reason. It was cold-blooded murder, pure and simple."

"Merlin?" Arthur asked him, wanting his former mentor to provide an explanation.

The Dragonlord's head was down and he wouldn't say a word.

"My father isn't going to answer you," Morgause stated the obvious.

She was standing behind Merlin's chair, her hand resting on top of the chair's back. Arthur felt like there was a barrier between him and them. It was frustrating.

"What, you're speaking for him now?" Arthur shot at her, annoyed.

Morgause gave him a piercing look, her blue eyes nearly black. Then she turned sharply to face Mordred.

"You're a silly child," she told Mordred.

Mordred's eyes narrowed at her insult.

Suddenly, a gun appeared in Morgause's hand and she moved quickly, directing the gun at Mordred.

Mordred gave her an incredulous look, half-surprised, half-unimpressed. "Have you forgotten I have magic, Morgause?" He said smugly.

She gave him a wane smile.

Merlin caught Arthur's eye. Arthur could safely say that an invisible burden was on Merlin's shoulders, with the way he slumped in his seat. He looked miserable and defeated, but quietly determined despite that.

"Whatever you do, Arthur, whatever you do, do _not_ interfere," Merlin spoke silently within Arthur's mind.

Arthur really didn't like the sound of that, but Merlin had a pleading look about him, and Arthur found it hard to demand from him what he meant or refuse Merlin's orders. He had a feeling that he would very much _want _to interfere if Merlin was so desperately insistent that Arthur stay out of it.

Arthur nodded unhappily, acknowledging Merlin's words. Merlin gave him a small smile and took a deep breath, released it, and then relaxed in his chair.

Morgause pulled the trigger on the gun and the bullet shot toward Mordred.

Of course, Mordred intercepted the bullet, slowing it down with his magic, and then making it change direction so that it would hit Arthur.

Arthur couldn't move, and he hated to think that this was how his second life would end – tied to a chair and hit by a bullet. It was leagues away from his death at the Battle of Camlann, honourably as the King of all Albion.

"Idiot," Morgause muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes at Mordred.

But then someone appeared in front of Arthur, her red leather-gloved hand blocking the bullet from hitting him.

Arthur recognized the blonde woman clad in red leather, armed with Agiels, as Cara. She was an Elite warrior of Avalon, and he recalled her visiting Camelot sometimes with Kahlan and Richard. Considering Cara was Kahlan's bodyguard, Arthur wasn't too surprised that the Elite had been granted immortality so that she could best serve his immortal daughter. He still felt reasonably irritated that he was seeing everyone again, immortal and in their twenties - ageless, while he was reincarnated yet still aged. Maybe that made him sound ungrateful, but Arthur really wanted to know who decided that he could _only _be reincarnated, not be given immortality. Why did it have to be that way? If only he knew who to ask…

"Kahlan," Cara spoke to her urgently.

Kahlan had appeared closer to Merlin. She was wearing her familiar white dress, her dark hair loose down her back and a similar bird necklace to Morgana's hugged her neck. Her golden wedding band shone brightly on her ring finger.

Arthur's daughter turned away from Mordred, who she had been glaring at, and she nodded at Cara. She raised her hand and Cara sent the bullet in her direction. Kahlan slowed the offending item down and then formed a small red fireball in her hands, which she then shot at the bullet, disintegrating it.

Kahlan moved fast toward Mordred, a threat clear on her face.

"No, don't!" Mordred said in an uncharacteristically frightened voice.

"Oh, you wish the worst would be Confession for you, but don't worry, it isn't," Kahlan promised him viciously.

Mordred backed away from her, his eyes trained on her hands, watching carefully for any sudden movement.

"It appears that my father was speaking the truth. How unfortunate for you, Mordred," Morgause said, smiling unsympathetically at him.

Kahlan whipped her head around, looking questioningly at Morgause. Cara stationed herself near Mordred, a wicked smile on her face. Cara had her Agiels, short red leather-covered sticks that, upon contact, were extremely painful to anyone the sticks were used against. She pressed an Agiel at Mordred's side and he cried out at the sudden pain.

"Don't even think of using magic, I can repel it. My friend Denna loves to break people. You'll _love _her," Cara told him with a smirk.

Mordred glowered at her, but didn't make any threatening movement as Cara looked quite ready to apply her Agiels on him again.

"Who are you?" Kahlan asked curiously.

"I'm Morgause, your half-aunt," Morgause informed her easily.

Merlin spoke up, "She's my daughter, Kahlan. Before I was with Nimue… she's no threat," he finished off as an afterthought.

"Oh," Kahlan said, and then she stared at Morgause as if she were trying to decipher a puzzle. "All right."

"Well, this is a little awkward," Cara remarked.

"A bit yeah," Kahlan said to her. Then she nodded to Morgause. "It's nice to meet you."

Morgause smiled lightly. "Well, I'm going to go," she announced. "I can only imagine how even more awkward it'll be if I stayed…" she noted.

Then Morgause was gone.

Kahlan turned toward her father and smiled. "Oh, it _is_ good to see you again," she said.

She went to Arthur and took out a dagger to cut him loose from the rope bonds.

Arthur saw the word, "Quicksilver" in a small brand toward the hilt end of the dagger.

Arthur was glad to see his daughter again, looking well centuries after Camelot. "I wasn't expecting to see you… Morgana met with me."

Kahlan nodded, working the dagger on the rope, where a thick black smoke appeared above it as the dagger tried to cut it. The weapon itself glowed golden, forcing the black smoke to shy away from the glow and allow the dagger access to the rope.

"How could I not come? Mother said you could be in danger, and luckily Cara and I came at just the right time. Thanks to Grandfather's message," Kahlan told him, and she turned to look at Merlin.

Merlin gave her a weak smile. "Thank you for coming, my dear."

Arthur thought there was an ominous hint in Merlin's tone of voice…like he was going to finish it off with, "…and now I'm going to kill you."

He shook himself – honestly, he hadn't even watched any horror movies lately. But well, there was that one Sherlock Holmes novel he finished barely a week ago… Still, it didn't justify his thoughts running away from him like this.

"Magically-enforced rope?" Arthur inquired, seeing the smoke become wispy and insignificant after the dagger attacked it.

Kahlan nodded. "Nothing this dagger can't handle," she assured him.

And a few brief moments later, the rope binding Arthur was cut by the blade and he was free.

Kahlan put her arms around him, embracing her father warmly. Arthur returned the hug.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't see you sooner," she started after she pulled away from him, "I'll make it up to you, I promise," Kahlan told him sincerely.

Arthur was quick to reassure her at the sight of his daughter's forlorn expression. "No, no, it's all right."

Kahlan gave him a soft smile. "I still plan to do something about it. Mother told me you had requested it."

Arthur shrugged, focused on massaging his rope-chafed wrists. "Yes, well, that's true. I would appreciate it," he admitted.

Kahlan nodded at him. "I'm glad," she said cheerfully.

Then she looked to Cara. "You can knock Mordred out if you'd like. His face is putting me off."

Cara looked amused.

Mordred stared at Kahlan incredulously. "My face? _My face?_ You're not even looking at me!"

Kahlan gave Mordred a pointed look. "…doesn't matter, it's still putting me off. And actually, I've been feeling a bit skittish lately. Perhaps you'd like me to Confess you?"

"I bloody hate you, all of you," Mordred muttered.

Cara pressed an Agiel over his abdomen, and he bit his tongue to keep from sounding off in response to the pain.

"Hand slipped," Cara said, not sounding sorry at all.

"You killed my father. That's unforgivable," Kahlan said, glaring at him.

"He's alive now. What's the problem? Honestly," Mordred said with slight smirk, "Yes, I want to kill him again. It's an addiction, I can't help it. He _stole_ Morgana from me."

Arthur spoke up, "She was your bloody half-sister, Mordred, for crissakes! Whatever I had with her was mutual."

Mordred was undeterred. "You're only saying that because your daughter's here," he remarked then he pointed out to Kahlan, "And actually, Arthur got to me _first_, I wounded him in self-defense."

"It's a true pity you didn't stay dead," Kahlan retorted, playing intently with her dagger.

Merlin sighed loudly. "Cara, just take him out already. Mordred has nothing useful to say."

"I don't see why you want to keep Arthur alive anyway…he's just going to be reborn again like a cockroach. Who cares how long he lives in this life?" Mordred said.

"_I care_," Cara said firmly and she stuck an Agiel to the side of his head.

A moment later, Mordred fell to the ground, knocked out and unconscious.

Merlin stood up and he gestured to Kahlan. "I need to speak with you in private," he finished off the last words with a meaningful look toward Arthur.

"You know, I've just about lost my patience with this secret business," Arthur remarked, his elbow on the chair arm and his hand over his cheek. He was frustrated and he was sure that he looked it too. "I just bloody remembered who I am_ yesterday_ and now you're keeping me in the dark, Merlin? You can't expect me to…well," Arthur waved his hand, "-to just _go along with it._"

"All will be revealed soon, _very_ soon, I promise you," Merlin reassured him earnestly.

Arthur wasn't appeased in the slightest, but there was little he could do about it at the moment. He had no idea where he was exactly, so it wasn't like he could leave this place, wherever this warehouse was. Resignedly, Arthur had a good feeling that the only option of returning home was through magical transportation. And magic was one thing he certainly didn't have. All he could do now was sit and see what happened next...

Merlin requested that Cara be there as well in the 'private talk' while Arthur was left twiddling his thumbs. He turned his head to look back at the caged dragon, to see how he was doing.

He was still asleep, but Arthur heard Kilgharrah's voice in his head. It jarred him for a moment since he hadn't been expecting it.

"Remember Ella," the dragon told him.

"What, that old story Morgana told me?" Arthur inquired silently, puzzled. "Her stepmother dosed Ella with a sleeping potion and then she slashed…" Arthur drifted off, realization dawning on him. Isn't that what Morgause said that she had done to a Confessed man? Ordered him to slash his own throat?

Could there be a connection?

"Why are you telling me this?" Arthur asked the dragon.

"—because there _is_ a connection, and you'll find out soon enough."

It was as if Kilgharrah could read Arthur's mind, which left him wondering the extent of the bond he had with the dragon due to Kilgharrah saving his life centuries ago. He wasn't too thrilled about a _dragon_ being able to hear his inner thoughts however much Arthur appreciated Kilgharrah's life-saving gesture.

The dragon fell silent and would not say anymore.

Arthur noticed Cara looking at him, an uneasy yet grimly determined look in her blue eyes.

The talk ended and Merlin returned to his seat. He looked older than his outward appearance than he ever had before. It was like Merlin was going to his death, Arthur thought, but the Dragonlord appeared quietly resigned to his fate no matter how much it weighed on him. Kahlan looked upset and uncertain while Cara, well, she just looked annoyed.

Cara stood beside Arthur and she gripped an Agiel in her hand, the other Agiel stored in the strap compartment upon her belt.

"You should have told me," Kahlan accused of Merlin. She was standing in front of him. "And why now? You know it's a busy time in Avalon with the transition…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath to collect herself. "And Mother…she…Grandfather, we _can't_ afford to lose you," she said firmly.

"Yes, you can," Merlin refuted, "I am sorry for not telling you about my mother, and I admit that I was wrong in that. I was worried how you would take it."

"I know now. That's what matters. All this time, I thought I was alone, that it was a curse. But my grandmother and that blonde woman-"

"Morgause would easily win the worst role model of the universe award," Arthur put in frankly. "It's best to avoid her at all costs."

Kahlan turned her head to look back at her father. "But still, she's my half-aunt. We share the same blood and the same power. And she's alive…Morgause is the only person I have who could understand what it means to be a Confessor. If I could find out where she went…" Kahlan mused.

"She admitted to Confessing a man and then ordering him to commit suicide. She's unstable, Kahlan," Arthur countered.

Cara smirked. "Congratulations, Kahlan. You officially have a crazy aunt, half-aunt, whatever. You can never escape them," she said, her lips quirking up into an amused smile.

"I can't exactly be picky at the moment," Kahlan said resignedly.

She turned back to face her grandfather. "But I'm _not_ doing what you wish me to do. Just because you feel it'll be easier-"

"I want Arthur to know that I am speaking the absolute truth," Merlin tried to persuade her.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the sound of this. Could this be what Merlin had warned him not to interfere with?

Absolute truth…wait, that had to mean, _of course. _How dare Merlin even consider such a thing?

"Merlin, no. I won't let you!" Arthur exclaimed, standing up.

Cara blocked his way. "No, you can't interfere."

"The hell I can't!" Arthur retorted indignantly.

"I don't want to use my Agiels on you, but I _will _stop you if I'm forced to," she threatened him, her eyes piercing his, challenging him to argue with her.

Meanwhile, Merlin continued to plead with his granddaughter. "Kahlan, please. I'm asking you. I want this to happen. You need feel no guilt over it, and Nimue will do what is…_necessary_ to end it. Arthur would never forgive me if you died because of this."

Arthur knew well that for the Confessed person to be released from Confession, either the Confessor or the Confessed had to die. The problem was that when the Confessed died, being released from Confession didn't allow them to go back to their life, of their own mind again, as they were _dead_. It was a sour victory, to be sure.

While Arthur certainly didn't want his daughter to die or give up her immortality or whatever she needed to do to release Merlin; he was still torn between his love for Merlin and his daughter. Arthur simply _couldn't _choose.

"Don't you dare, Merlin. I swear, you can't do this! Why can't you just say what you need to say without Confession? I'll believe you, I promise I'll believe you," Arthur tried to convince him desperately. "I won't let you die!"

"I've made up my mind. You can't change it," Merlin informed calmly. "And I truly can't find it in myself to divulge the details without Confession. If that makes me weak, then I accept that."

"This is _wrong_, Merlin. The truth isn't worth this. This is going too far," Arthur argued with him.

Arthur noticed Merlin's expression change, like he was beginning to finally see sense and listen to what Arthur was telling him.

The Dragonlord nodded slowly. "You're right, Arthur. I've been remiss in how I'm going about this," he acknowledged. "-we should leave," Merlin declared.

Arthur felt relieved. "Thank goodness," he said.

He did want to find out what Merlin was hiding, but for now, he felt that it was enough that he had learned the truth about Merlin's mother, the very reason why his own daughter was who she was.

Cara spoke then, speaking to his daughter, "Kahlan, do I-?"

Kahlan turned around and nodded reluctantly, her face unhappy. "Yes."

Arthur barely had the chance to be surprised when Cara stuck her Agiel upon his chest, right over where his heart lay.

The pain was excruciating and a moment later, Arthur was dead.

* * *

_To Be Continued..._


	5. Fatal Attraction

One more part after this. :) Thanks again to those who have shown interest in this story. I apologize for the cliffhanger in the previous part, but if you know about Legend of the Seeker...well, death isn't _exactly _final on that show. ;) Merlin will tell all his secrets in this chapter. I also want to warn for suggestions of possible incest, but it's not directly remarked upon, and it's up to you whether you believe the actual incest happened. I personally don't think it would have, but considering the nature of the situation, it could have easily come to that.

Also, there is a character death in this chapter, but I can't resist a happy ending, so the death won't last. ;)

* * *

Arthur gasped, his eyes opening at the shock of being alive again. The air rushed back into his lungs. Cara was by him and she gave him a small smile when she noticed he was conscious again.

"Sorry for killing you, but Kahlan's grandfather was adamant he be Confessed so that he could say what he needed to say. We thought it best that you wouldn't have the chance to interfere," she told him. "I gave you the Breath of Life, but you probably realized that."

"Unless you had all gone mad, I didn't think you'd want me dead. But, oh, just temporarily is perfectly acceptable," Arthur said sarcastically.

Cara looked somewhat apologetic and then she pointed out to him, "Well, you're all better now. Look on the bright side."

Arthur rolled his eyes at that.

He saw that Kahlan was speaking quietly to Merlin, who was hidden from view with Kahlan standing before him.

"Kahlan?" Arthur tried to get her attention.

Kahlan turned around. He could see that she looked a bit ill. Arthur imagined that it would be rather unpleasant to Confess someone who you consider family and have to deal with any inappropriate behavior…

Bloody Merlin for being so bloody adamant, Arthur fumed silently.

"Are you all right, Father?" She asked. "Grandfather was impatient and he couldn't wait any longer. He wasn't sure he'd have the strength to go through with the Confession if you were there to stop it from happening."

Arthur sighed. "Yeah, Merlin is due for a good whack around the head," he said, grumbling more than anything else.

Kahlan gave him a weak smile. She walked to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry," she said.

Arthur wasn't sure what she was apologizing for as he was mentally placing all the blame on Merlin.

Kahlan nodded to Cara. "Kilgharrah is revived as well?" She inquired, making sure.

Cara shrugged. "I think so. With the bond between him and the Once and Future King, if I revive one of them, the other one _should be_ revived likewise." Then she headed toward the dragon, kicking an unconscious Mordred not so gently in the ribs as she passed him. "Hey, Dragon, are you good?" The Elite asked him.

Arthur heard the Dragon mutter irritably. Finally, he appeared to be awake now. "I'm tired of being caged. Get me out of here, you bumbling idiots," he ordered grumpily.

Cara looked to Kahlan. "Your Quicksilver dagger should do the trick."

"A dagger? You only have _a dagger_?" The Dragon uttered incredulously. "These bars require a Quicksilver _sword_!"

"Kahlan was being sentimental," Cara told him by way of explanation.

"It was an anniversary gift. Shut up," Kahlan defended herself. "And the dagger _will _work. It's _still _a Quicksilver no matter its smaller size," she said firmly.

She took out her dagger and she cut the bars with the weapon. The dagger glowed golden and the bars melted upon contact with the Quicksilver dagger.

Then all the bars disappeared as if the dagger's contact with just a few of the bars was repulsive to the rest of the enclosure. As such, the entire cage vanished leaving Kilgharrah free of his temporary prison.

Meanwhile, Arthur had a chat with Merlin.

"Merlin, are you all right?" Arthur asked uneasily. He felt like he was dealing with a vicious animal waiting to pounce and strike.

He had seen people Confessed by his daughter before. He had seen how they had acted and how nothing mattered more to them than protecting the Confessor – going as far as sacrificing themselves to save the Confessor's life.

Arthur knew that Merlin would risk his life for his granddaughter, Confession or no, but the point remained – his mind was not his own, his existence was now dependent on Kahlan's orders. The love for her would consume him, leaving little interest in anything else but Kahlan and how to…how to…

…_please_ her, Arthur finished quietly. He was having difficulty even thinking it.

Arthur never imagined something like this would happen. But it was happening all right, and he had to deal with it. He desperately tried not to dwell on what would happen when Kahlan finished questioning Merlin.

Merlin looked directly at him. He looked more relaxed and calmer now as if all the tension was eased out of him.

"I'm fine," Merlin answered him politely like he was commenting on the weather.

"You better not call Kahlan 'mistress' or I will hurt you," Arthur warned him.

"I'm not going to call her that," Merlin assured him.

"Good."

But then, Merlin added, "Kahlan told me not to call her that."

Arthur covered his face in his hands. Well, that ruined it. At least Kahlan had the foresight to set the ground rules.

Kahlan and Cara came back with the dragon following after them.

"Merlin's Confessed?" The Dragon inquired.

"Yes," Cara answered him.

"All of you have no idea, do you? No clue," Kilgharrah said cryptically.

Kahlan looked curiously at the dragon. "What is it, Kilgharrah?"

Arthur didn't like how Merlin's eyes were tracking Kahlan's every move. It was creepy.

"Ask him," the dragon only said.

Kahlan sighed and turned back to Merlin. "Grandfather, what is the dragon talking about?"

Merlin shrugged, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Most likely that I've been Confessed before, My Lady," he informed her.

Everyone fell silent. Arthur thought he had heard wrong. Merlin had been Confessed _before_? There wasn't a plethora of Confessors to choose from…and surely it hadn't been Kahlan who had Confessed him before now. There was Morgause, but Merlin hadn't seen her since she was a child and Morgause had only been five years old then. No matter how morally ambiguous Morgause was, Arthur couldn't see her Confessing her father at such a young age.

That left Merlin's mother when she'd been alive. But Arthur wrote that off right away. She was _his mother_ after all.

Kahlan regained her composure first and she said, "All right. I'm sure everyone would love to know who has Confessed you before…"

"I could tell you if you'd like," Merlin told her easily. "If you really want to know."

"You know, don't you, Kilgharrah?" Cara asked the dragon.

"Of course I do. Merlin's my Dragonlord. It's a part of the bond to know everything about him," the dragon said, rolling his eyes.

"…but you're not going to tell us?" Kahlan wanted to know.

"You Confessed him, you ask him," the dragon said, then he seemed to rethink his words. "But I would advise you against that. For now at least. Merlin's mother was a Confessor. Best start from the beginning. Ask him what happened to his mother when she was a child."

Kahlan asked Merlin what the dragon had directed her to say.

He explained, "My mother was given this antidote when she was a young girl – five or six years old? It was a way to control the Confessor population, the beginnings of trying to contain it. That's where the 50/50 potential of carriers producing Confessor daughters came in. Except well, the daughter of an active Confessor will always be a Confessor, never a dormant carrier. That couldn't be altered," Merlin paused, thoughtful, and then he added, "It wasn't just that though. There were male Confessors during my mother's time. So, the antidote's chief purpose was to take away any chance of male children born to Confessors having active Confessor magic. Instead, the son of a Confessor would simply be a carrier for the power, and had the chance to pass the Confessor power on to their own daughters. If it weren't for my mother taking the antidote, I would have been killed before I was a day old."

"Why?" Kahlan asked him, shocked.

"You feel faint afterwards, don't you, when you Confess someone? That keeps you from using the power too often because there's a control in place. You need time to 'recharge' in a way. But, with male Confessors, they don't have that control. They can keep Confessing as long as they wish, and they're easily susceptible by the bloodlust. They can never get enough…enjoyment out of Confessing others, having people under their control. Male Confessors always turned out to be ruthless tyrants, never satisfied until they commanded everyone," Merlin finished. He looked like he had eaten something rotten.

Arthur's brow furrowed. "Wait, if male Confessors were killed so young, how do you even know how they acted?"

Merlin gave him a strange look and then he turned to Kahlan.

"Answer his question," Kahlan told him.

Arthur raised his eyes to the ceiling. Cara squeezed his shoulder in an attempt at a reassuring gesture. The last thing Arthur needed though was a reminder of Merlin being Confessed and the fact that he couldn't ask him a question without Merlin deferring to Kahlan…it left him thoroughly frustrated.

"According to my mother, prior to the antidote, some Confessors couldn't bear to kill their sons. Their mothers let them live. But no matter how nurturing the mother was to the son, it was futile. Male Confessors remained abominations, and it was more merciful to kill them before the mother grew too attached to her child."

"So, you could have been like that – a male Confessor," Kahlan uttered quietly, saddened by the thought.

Merlin shook his head vehemently. "No, I would have been killed before the bloodlust took me over. My mother was strong-willed, I assure you. She would have killed me because it would have been the right thing to do," he said passionately, "As such, the antidote allowed my mother to let me live."

"And the antidote – I haven't had any children yet, but would I need to take it as well?" Kahlan wondered.

Merlin shook his head. "The antidote is already in your blood, My Lady. Nimue and I both checked. It's a blood inheritance from your great-grandmother, my mother. The antidote doesn't need to be re-administered. Any sons you bear will be fine."

Kahlan nodded, looking relieved. "…and your father, he was a Dragonlord? He was Confessed, wasn't he?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes, that's how it works. My mother sent him away. She felt guilty for being with him when she knew the price he would have to pay for it. So she decided that it would be easier if he wasn't around because she couldn't bear to look at him. My mother thought she could raise me just fine without him."

"That must have been hard for your father if he was still Confessed to her…" Kahlan mused.

"Yes, but my mother couldn't bear to kill him," Merlin answered her with a small shrug. Then he said, "She had me kill him."

Arthur wasn't sure he had heard right. Did Merlin just say he had killed his father?

"You killed your father," Arthur stated in disbelief. "And he was still Confessed, right? So he was no direct threat to you…since you were the son of the woman he was Confessed to."

Merlin had his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He didn't answer Arthur, but instead he looked to Kahlan.

"Grandfather? Did you kill your father?" Kahlan asked him.

The dragon cut in with a huff. "You're_ not_ listening to him," he muttered.

"Yes," Merlin admitted quietly.

He looked upset when Kahlan stepped back in shock.

"I'm sorry if that makes you unhappy, but I couldn't disobey my mother."

"Disobey?" Kahlan uttered, puzzled.

Merlin nodded. "My mother Confessed me when-"

"No, you're _lying_," Arthur interrupted, his tone firm. "What kind of mother would do that?"

Kahlan didn't look like she wanted to resume the questioning. "No one can lie under Confession, Father," she said tiredly.

Arthur knew that, but anything to make this admittance false was more preferable than letting this truth sink in.

"It was the antidote," Kilgharrah pointed out.

Kahlan asked Merlin then. "What does the antidote have to do with what your mother did to you?"

"The antidote managed to be successful for what it set out to do, but it did not come without side effects. My mother was a very emotional person as consequence of the antidote…and she – I knew that she loved me, and she cared for me. But there were many times I came home to find her weeping, asking why everyone seemed to persecute her for being a Confessor. She was a good person, and everyone looked at her with fear in their eyes. I tried to comfort her, reassure her that I still loved her, that she wasn't alone. Sometimes it wasn't enough," he said regretfully.

Merlin continued on, "My mother had me when she was young and she was the only Confessor in the village of child-bearing age. Most, the men particularly of course, worried that she would Confess another man in the village to bear another child. As my father was absent, everyone worried that with no man to 'keep her happy', my mother would become restless and turn on the men of the village. My mother always reassured me that she only needed me…that she didn't need another child. Unfortunately, other people didn't take her word for it."

"Oh dear," Kahlan murmured. "Your poor mother."

"She bloody Confessed him," Arthur said under his breath.

He wasn't too sure if he was all that sympathetic… no matter the emotional turmoil Merlin's mother had undergone, that gave her no right to Confess her own child. Though he also knew how hard this was for his daughter to hear, to find out how hard it was for her great-grandmother to live as a Confessor. Kahlan had been lucky to have a support system around her – him, Morgana, Merlin, Nimue…- and later, Richard. And while Kahlan could never sleep with Richard because of the risk of Confession, their marriage didn't seem to be ill-affected by the restriction from what Arthur recalled of his former life.

"When did your mother Confess you?" Kahlan asked.

"When I was fifteen. She saw me with my friend Morgaine…that was my – our first time. But my mother had grown even more emotionally unstable over the years, and she had had a bad day. And as I was the only person she could depend upon, my mother was quite possessive over me. I think she feared that my attention would shift to another woman as I was growing older. So when I returned home after being with Morgaine… she, well…" Merlin trailed off, not wishing to go on.

But everyone knew what he meant to say.

**230 AD**

"Merlin, Merlin…you're not feeling well," his mother said softly as she sat down beside him on the bed.

She raised his head so that he could drink from the cup she offered him.

The drink didn't make him feel any better, it just made him feel drowsier. He saw stars blinking in front of him.

"I saw you with your friend Morgaine, Merlin. You know it can never happen. Arthur Quicksilver will marry her."

"…how do you know that?" he said weakly.

His mother swept aside the dark locks from his sweaty brow. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

"A mother always knows," she said quietly.

She moved her hand to wrap around her son's neck.

Merlin still had enough semblance of mind to realize what his mother was about to do.

"No, no, please no, please! Mother!" He exclaimed, pleading with her.

His mother hushed him, and would not listen to his protests.

"You'll be at peace, my child," she said reassuredly.

And then his mother turned her power on him, her eyes black as she Confessed him.

* * *

"…I was Confessed to my mother for ten years. She was killed in battle when I was twenty five. That's when I was released from her Confession. But while I was Confessed, she told me to kill my father. My mother discovered that I would only receive my Dragonlord powers upon my father's death. So she wanted to make sure I gained my inheritance as soon as possible."

"_Ten_ years?" Everyone uttered in near unison except for Kilgharrah who looked preoccupied with finding a comfortable place to lie down.

Merlin looked a bit startled with the surprised reaction.

To be Confessed was one thing, Arthur thought, but to be Confessed for a whole _decade_ – that was inconceivable.

"But what about your friends – Arthur and Morgaine? They couldn't have just deserted you," Arthur said in disbelief.

Kahlan put in, figuring it out, "Your mother could have hurt them too…they were afraid."

"She was still my mother no matter what. The two of them wanted to help me, but yes, they were wary around my mother. And neither wanted to be responsible for killing my mother knowing how I would feel."

"But after what she did to you, wouldn't you have been grateful? For being released from Confession?" Kahlan wondered.

"My mother was just as much a victim here as I had been. I loved her, I still love her. It's those awful stories that people told about her that broke her down in the end. Even after my mother was dead, I was devastated at the loss. And she told me to stay behind before she went out to fight. She said I was too important to lose…but I couldn't, I couldn't let her go off alone. My mother had to physically place me in an impregnable room. I couldn't even use my magic to escape, and I remember…clawing at the door, desperately wanting to get out. But I couldn't," he said mournfully.

"Oh, Grandfather," Kahlan sighed and she embraced him.

After she pulled away from him, Merlin noted, "Arthur told me later that what happened to me spurred him to finally work on his life's ambition. That while I was lost to them, he could make the most of his life."

Kahlan nodded. "Crafting the greatest sword in existence, Excalibur."

"Yes," Merlin confirmed.

"What? Why didn't I know about this?" Arthur inquired, irritated. Excalibur was his sword after all. Admittedly, he never thought to consider that someone had to have _made_ the sword. He had just been given the sword by Viviane at the Lake. The thought of its origins just never occurred to him.

Cara smirked, finding this all amusing. "For the true wielder not to know…the fact is the worst-kept secret of Avalon."

Kahlan pulled out her dagger, the one with the Quicksilver marking on it, and showed it to Arthur. He took the offered dagger from her, taking a closer look at it.

"His name was Arthur Quicksilver… and what made Excalibur the greatest sword was its ability to survive centuries, forever essentially, because of the powerful magic within it. After all, he crafted the sword in the third century and you were given Excalibur in the sixth century. No ordinary sword would survive that long in perfect condition. The Lady of the Lake makes sure the sword is properly taken care of, so that Excalibur will truly be immortal. Freya, my Aunt Viviane's Ward, is presently the Lady of the Lake and Guardian of Excalibur," Kahlan explained steadily.

Arthur looked up at her. "Oh? Changing of the guard then?"

Kahlan nodded. "My aunt thought it was her time to go and Freya was more than happy to take on the role."

"So this dagger...it's a Quicksilver? Did he make it too?"

"No, one of his descendants made that dagger. It's Richard… he's descended from one of Arthur's sons on his mother's side. Richard's father was a woodsman, of course, and he took after him, but Richard also has a natural talent for sword-making. Most of Quicksilver blood have this gift as if their well-known ancestor's great accomplishment has blessed them with it."

"That means…if Nimue is Arthur Quicksilver's daughter, are you telling me you're related to Richard?"

Kahlan gave a small nod, not looking exactly thrilled about the mention of being related. "_Distantly,_ but yes…we are. Richard is my grandmother's great-great-great…and so on, nephew."

"And that's where Richard Cypher gets his madness for marrying you from. _Nimue_," Cara teased her.

Kahlan rolled her eyes at Cara. Apparently this wasn't the first time they had discussed this by Kahlan's lack of true annoyance. "Grandmother always says he is most likely descended from the good brother…James, I think? But then she started laughing, so I think she was making it up."

And suddenly a lot of things began to make sense in Arthur's head. He wished that this information about Excalibur would have been revealed to him when he had been, you know, actually _wielding_ the sword. Getting it after the fact was a bit anti-climactic.

"We're sorry for not telling you sooner, but it was meant to be a secret. Not in Avalon though – can't hide anything connected to you there," She nodded at Arthur. "When everyone found out he was an honest-to-goodness Quicksilver, he was treated like a celebrity. As it were, they were more than accepting of my marriage to him."

Arthur returned the dagger to his daughter and nodded at her. "I appreciate you telling me," he said, feeling rather overwhelmed with all this new information.

Merlin's mother, Merlin being Confessed before, Merlin killing his father (under Confession but _still_…) now…Excalibur and Richard being descended from an old friend of Merlin's… Arthur was part glad to finally know all of this and part exhausted from taking all this new stuff in.

But there was one last thing…Morgause. There was clearly something behind their conflicted father-daughter relationship.

Arthur asked Kahlan if she could ask Merlin about Morgause. She did, but the answer wasn't one Arthur had been expecting.

"_Ella_…" Kilgharrah said breezily inside Arthur's head, reminding him before Merlin set out on his answer.

Merlin told them that after his mother died, Morgaine urged him to flee to a magically protected forest. That people would be coming after him and he was in danger if he stayed in the village. These people were bounty hunters who were sent to capture him…certain to fetch a nice prize for the son of both a Dragonlord and a Confessor.

And his fate wouldn't have been as simple as death, oh no, the people wanting to get a hold of him wished to experiment on him. Maybe put Merlin into a breeding program, to manipulate the situation so that the 50/50 potential of a Confessor daughter became a 100%...and they could raise an army of Confessors under whatever lord or king's command. It was a foolhardy plan as one never knew if the Confessor could turn on you, but to some lords and kings, the idea was still quite appealing despite the risks. It would bring order to their land if people were in fear of the ruler's Confessors sentencing them to Confession.

So Merlin, his mother's death still fresh and raw in his mind, had to seek a safe refuge.

And in the protected forest, he met the Fae Queen who granted him immortality and told him of the prophecy involving him. Only later did Merlin find out that the son of a king he was destined to mentor was Arthur Pendragon of Camelot. Merlin was so emotionally wound up and stressed, dealing with the aftermath of his mother's death and being released from a decade's Confession, that he was angered by this forced immortality.

He hadn't wanted to be immortal no matter the important reason for it. He didn't feel ready to mentor anyone at the time and he certainly didn't want to live forever. Because that meant he'd be forced to deal with all that he had done under Confession, that there would be no possibility of blessed death until he fulfilled his destiny. The Fae Queen had assured him that by the time Arthur Pendragon would be born, Merlin would be ready to properly mentor him. Still, Merlin was extremely annoyed at what he was being put through.

As a consequence, he allowed a nymph of the forest to seduce him and he willingly went along with her sweet but hollow promises. The nymph's name was Cypress.

He had Morgause with Cypress and he was horrified to learn that Morgause was an active Confessor.

At the time, Merlin was plagued by nightmares and he felt torn between hating his mother and wanting to forgive her, knowing she had been feeling just as lost as he was now. But his mother_ had_ destroyed his life, ten years of it, and he lost Morgaine as a result. She had married Arthur after all – a woman at that time had to marry. Though Merlin couldn't think of a better man for Morgaine than Arthur, he still was devastated about losing his chance with her.

So Merlin had thought that he created a monster in Morgause. He knew well about the 50/50 potential, but he hadn't been thinking clearly at the time…and the magnitude of Morgause, his own daughter, being a Confessor, tormented him.

He asked the Fae Queen to remove Morgause's immortality, so that he could kill her.

Arthur immediately spoke up at that admittance. "No, no. I won't hear this. This can't be true. You killed Morgause because she was a Confessor?" Then Arthur paused, thinking over what Merlin had said before… about Morgause falling ill when she was five. What if instead of the illness causing her death, Merlin had murdered her, _his own daughter_. And the reason why Morgause was afraid of Merlin, but also wanted revenge against him was clear. "It was when she was five years old, right? She wasn't too young for her immortality to manifest, you actively set out to take it away from her. You killed her!"

"Grandfather…" Kahlan began uncertainly.

Arthur could scarcely imagine what his daughter was going through. Merlin had done his best to care for Kahlan and dote on her, and now, she had discovered that the same man had killed his own daughter for the very thing that Kahlan was – a Confessor.

"I understand this upsets you, My Lady, but I was a different man back then. I didn't know what to do. I was scared…if she turned on me-"

"Morgause is _your daughter_. Why in the world would she turn on you?" Arthur wanted to know. "Well before you killed her, I mean. _Then_ I could understand her desire to Confess you."

"My mother Confessed me…who was to say it wouldn't work the other way around with my child?" Merlin asked right back.

Arthur breathed out. Merlin had had a point there, he admitted grudgingly.

"I tried to make amends for what I did to Morgause when you were born, My Lady," Merlin spoke to Kahlan earnestly. "I knew it was wrong what I did to my daughter years ago, and I didn't want to do it again. I had healed from my troubled past by Arthur's time. Kilgharrah had chosen me as his Dragonlord after Morgause's death. I went to visit the Dragon's den to finally take up my duty as a Dragonlord. I spent most of my time with my dragon during those years after her death, before I crossed paths with Nimue. I believed that other people only set out to hurt me, and I couldn't deal with them anymore. Bonding with Kilgharrah, slowly but surely, made me work through my terrible past."

Kahlan nodded and then she looked to the Great Dragon with a grateful smile. The magical creature only looked nonchalant, but his smile was a bit smug.

Arthur couldn't exactly see Kilgharrah acting as a shrink, but whatever he did appeared to have worked wonders on Merlin. One could never tell that Merlin had had such a troubling past by the look of him.

"And how was the fact of your mother being a Confessor hidden?" Kahlan asked.

"I asked the Fae Queen to use her magic to conceal that fact about my mother's heritage, to make her appear to be just a woman, completely non-magical. So those wishing to do me harm because of my Confessor blood would be denied a reason for seeking me out. As I lived, people would only recognize me as a Dragonlord after my father."

Arthur suddenly remembered Ella…it made sense now. That had been a story _Merlin _had told Morgana before she retold it to Arthur. Ella had been blonde like Morgause…and then the stepmother in the tale had, in fact, been Merlin.

Merlin had dosed Morgause with a sleeping potion and he had slashed her throat to kill her. Arthur didn't know how Merlin could have managed to tell that story to his daughter with a straight face…or maybe, Merlin had told Morgana the tale to remind himself of the awful deed he had committed. That he wouldn't brush off what he had done.

"Ella was Morgause, right?" Arthur asked the dragon silently.

Kilgharrah gave him a piercing look and nodded. He answered silently as well, "Yes, that's why the Confessor has made other men slash their throats in retaliation for what her father had done to her."

Arthur swore. Morgause definitely had issues. He couldn't blame her. She had been so young when she had been killed…and he dreaded to think if Morgause had felt the knife cutting her throat even through the sleeping potion. If she felt the need to work out her frustration through Confessing others, then most likely yes.

"Morgause forgave you, didn't she? She had a talk with you," Arthur said out loud this time.

"Morgause forgave you?" Kahlan asked.

"I told her that I sincerely regretted what I had done to her. I proved to her that I was wholly remorseful for my crime, and she accepted that. I let her go, but I don't know where she went. But the least I could do is to leave her in peace. She may have returned to her time, to her mother, I do not know. Morgause may seek you out, My Lady, if she so wishes. She knows you're a Confessor. But you will have a difficult time finding her if you do search for her."

Kahlan nodded. "Well, hopefully she will visit me at some point," she said optimistically.

Maybe as a ploy for sympathy, Arthur thought – to express what he had done hadn't come without consequences, Merlin added, "I paid a price for requesting the Fae Queen take away Morgause's immortality. The Queen didn't tell me directly what it was, but I'm certain it was my inability to father a son. I will most likely never have a son of my blood to pass my Dragonlord talent down to."

But before Arthur, or anyone else, could respond, Arthur felt a sharp pain in his chest. Kilgharrah let out an irritated roar as if something had hurt him.

He turned to see a man who looked like his father, but the expression on his face was one of a mad man's. It left his father unrecognizable, and Arthur realized with growing horror that his father had shot the dragon.

"Hey!" Cara shouted, annoyed. She made a quick move toward the older man, but he grinned mirthlessly at her.

Uther looked at her Agiels and remarked, "You have magic? I have magic, too."

And then he practically giggled in mad glee. He disappeared, his eyes turning a pure black, before Cara could attack him with an Agiel.

"Damnit," Cara swore, glaring at the spot he had disappeared from.

"Father, are you all right?" Kahlan asked in concern.

"I don't…no…" Arthur breathed out. He pressed his hand firmly over his chest. Even he hadn't been shot at directly; he could feel how much agony that the dragon was in.

"How the hell can a simple gun hurt the dragon?" Cara demanded.

"Dark magic, it has to be," Arthur gasped out.

Kahlan looked to be in agreement with Arthur's words. "The gun could have been enhanced with dark magic. He must have made a deal – to resurrect Mordred, he must have. The amount of dark magic used…necromancy is never without a price. And by his eyes turning black, he's been playing with dark magic for some time now," Kahlan concluded. Then she nodded at Cara. "If he returns, make sure to kill him."

Cara acknowledged her words with a curt nod. Kahlan went over to Arthur and her hand glowed as she healed him. Arthur let out a shaky breath, relieved that he wasn't in pain anymore. Kahlan smiled at him. "All right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured his daughter.

"This is getting redundant," Kilgharrah grumbled, likewise healed as well.

But something was happening to Merlin. He had his eyes closed and he was mumbling, "No, no, no, no!" He ended on a shout.

His eyes flew open and everyone was startled to see his eyes a pure black with red swirling in with the black as well.

Merlin had his arm extended and his hand was reaching for something…

Kahlan looked to Cara quickly. "You can't let it reach my father," she said urgently.

Then Merlin started screaming and he tried to leave his chair, but Kahlan prevented him from leaving his seat.

"Grandfather, please…control it. _Please_," Kahlan asked of him.

Arthur could feel a stifling energy within the area around him, but Cara was in front of him, repelling the energy away from them with her hand.

"What's happening to Merlin?" Arthur demanded. He couldn't help but shudder a bit when Merlin, eyes still black, looked straight at him and tilted his head at him as if trying to figure Arthur out.

"He's just a carrier, Kahlan. What's going on?" Cara wanted to know.

"…and this has been the_ second_ time he has been Confessed. It could have caused-" But she was cut short when Uther returned.

This time with a bigger gun.

He smiled obscenely before he pulled the trigger, shooting at the dragon once again.

"Big mistake," Merlin threatened softly.

Uther was immediately Confessed just by one look from Merlin.

But it was too late. The bullet had been the killing blow to both Kilgharrah and Arthur, by virtue of their bond.

A frustrated Kahlan threw her dagger at Uther, hitting him in the chest and knocking him down with the force of the impact. Cara rushed to Arthur so she could revive him.

Right before Arthur could feel the last vestiges of life leave him, he heard Merlin's voice inside his head. He was calling to Arthur, "Your Majesty…Arthur…Your Majesty…I have to leave you now."

"Stop, Cara," Kahlan directed her.

A big glowing light left Merlin and rushed toward Arthur and the dragon.

"We can't interfere now. Grandfather has taken care of it," she said with a sigh, "He's giving up his immortality."

* * *

Arthur woke up. He felt disoriented after all these near-death experiences he had went through in a short amount of time. But he remembered Merlin's last words to him.

And his worst fear had been confirmed. Merlin was dead. He knew that he had been living on borrowed time ever since Kahlan Confessed him, but to see the evidence before his eyes made it all the harder.

Nimue had come and she was speaking in the Old Tongue over Merlin's body, which had been moved to the ground.

Arthur had never seen Nimue look so sad and a bit lost as well. Kahlan and Cara were standing opposite Nimue, both of their heads down.

And Morgana was there. She was wearing a deep purple cloak this time over her dress. Her eyes welled up with unshed tears upon seeing Arthur.

She went to him and told him repentantly, "Oh, Arthur, I should have told you. Now with Father gone, I know it wasn't right for me to keep it from you," Morgana told him.

"Morgana, what is it?" Arthur asked worriedly.

When she didn't answer him, an unhappy look darkening her green eyes, Arthur embraced her in a hug.

"I'll be giving up my immortality in less than a week's time, Arthur. Kahlan will be taking over as the Lady of Avalon," she explained to him.

He pulled away from her. "You're going to die," he stated.

"It has to be done, Arthur. The succession needs to continue and the time is now. Kahlan has been preparing for this responsibility for centuries. It's my time to go," she told him.

"But you'll be coming back? Through reincarnation?" He asked her.

Morgana gave him a small smile. "I do not know. This will be the last time I see you for a very long time. That is the only thing I'm sure of."

Arthur sighed, unhappy that it wasn't just Merlin who he was losing now. He had remembered his past life yesterday and already, everything seemed to be falling apart around him. Merlin was gone…and he didn't know when he'd see him again or Morgana now…

"Kahlan and Richard will visit you every so often. I made sure to arrange it for you," she said quietly, smiling at him.

Arthur nodded. "That's good."

"Arthur," she said quietly.

Then Morgana kissed him, her tears wetting his face. He kissed her back, a desperation seizing him, but he knew it was no use.

He was resigned to living a life without Merlin or Morgana. All the memories that had been returned to him only made Arthur yearn for what was.

But everything came to an end.

* * *

_The final part in a week's time..._


	6. All for the love of you

This is the final part of the story. I apologize for the lateness. This ending is rather short compared to the other chapters. Thanks for reading! I hope everyone who has read this story enjoyed it. :)

* * *

After he had said his goodbyes and had a quiet moment sitting by Merlin, trying not to focus on how still his chest was, his heart not beating anymore, Arthur returned home.

Well, more accurately, Nimue took him home as magical transportation was required to leave the warehouse.

And then Arthur had an interesting conversation with her about why she was the way she was. He figured that growing up with three brothers didn't help Nimue at all in acting like a 'proper lady'…she became more interested in dark fairytales and testing the limits of her magic versus which pretty dress to wear or brushing her hair. And also, her mother Morgaine, who was a Seer, quite often wished she had been born a boy so she could have inherited her Dragonlord father's power. She had been rather enchanted by dragons and Nimue was certain her mother would have been a good Dragonlord if she had been a boy.

Arthur now better understood why Merlin and Morgaine had been drawn to each other – they had something in common after all. The two of them were both children of Dragonlords.

* * *

"I thought you would like this portrait. It was a group picture. Everyone is in here – Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother, you, Aunt Viviane, and me, of course. I was five, remember?" Kahlan asked him, smiling as she unveiled the large portrait. She set it down on the table. The picture was so big that it would most certainly take up half the height of the wall.

Arthur recognized the painting – it had been one of the few paintings done of all of them, and Kahlan had fidgeted the whole time during the painter's session. What made the portrait even more striking was that it was a moving portrait, a spell that Merlin and Nimue had devised to give life to the picture.

So there was Merlin and Nimue standing beside one another at the far left of the painting, Merlin smiling congenially and Nimue with her usual, "I'm up to something" smirk. On Morgana's left was her older sister Viviane. She was wearing a flowing pale blue dress, which seemed to turn into water at the edges of the dress. She curtsied, her pose graceful and self-assured. Arthur remembered that Viviane was always more of a traditionalist in how she acted. She took her duty as the Lady of the Lake very seriously, and with as much heart and passion as Arthur took to ruling Camelot and her people.

Seated in an intricately carved chair in the center was Morgana. She was wearing a deep blue dress and a five-year-old Kahlan sat in her lap. Kahlan looked bored, more ready to play rather than sit still. Morgana held her still, gently admonishing her for fidgeting. Kahlan turned her head forward, a frown on her face. Then she blew a kiss in the unseen painter's direction, giggling afterwards, and went about playing with the golden trim on her dress.

Arthur himself was standing to the right of Morgana, his hand resting on the back of her chair. He had a firm expression on his face, every inch the King, and his other hand gripped the hilt of Excalibur. The sword's tip touched the stone ground. But despite his firm, serious look, Arthur did glance at his daughter every so often, a warm, fond expression in his eyes as he observed her antics. Morgana looked up at Arthur and smiled knowingly at him.

All together, it was truly a beautiful portrait. Arthur felt honoured to be given the portrait to keep.

"I love it. Thank you," Arthur said appreciatively.

Kahlan smiled at him. "It's the least I can do. It's always nice to have reminders of the past."

Arthur nodded, his gaze drifting to Merlin's smiling face, his former mentor waving his hand briefly.

How Merlin could have still found happiness in life after his ordeal, Arthur could scarcely imagine. Maybe his many years of living forced Merlin to deal with his conflicted past and move on, doggedly, but still with his best effort.

Or it was as Merlin had said: his bond with his dragon had helped the Dragonlord to overcome his troubling memories.

Arthur sometimes was bothered by the stubborn Great Dragon, but he could not deny that Kilgharrah had played a significant part in making Merlin the mentor Arthur depended on as King of Camelot.

* * *

Gwen persuaded Arthur to go with her to an art gallery showing one evening. Lancelot was out of the country on business and she needed someone to accompany her. She didn't want to go on her own.

She assured him that he would like it. That one of the artists, Elaine White, painted scenes and characters straight out of Arthurian legend.

She thought it would be a bit of a laugh if the two of them showed up with names like theirs.

Arthur had the night free, so he decided to go with her.

It had been almost six months since Merlin and Morgana's deaths. Arthur's daughter and her husband had visited him a handful of times during those months. Slowly but surely, Arthur began to work through his past memories and Merlin's revelations…

Though he missed Merlin and Morgana, Arthur felt things were looking up for him. He would be all right.

At least he still had his daughter and Kilgharrah was quite fond of communicating with Arthur mind-to-mind across a distance (the dragon was stuck in Avalon for the foreseeable future so he wouldn't fall into the wrong hands again). It was becoming a bit irritating when Arthur was trying to sleep, but admittedly, the contact with the dragon was helpful.

Even if Kilgharrah enjoyed speaking cryptically, giving Arthur headaches. He understood that the dragon missed Merlin, his Dragonlord, as much as Arthur did. So Arthur just let him be.

At the art gallery, Arthur parted ways with Gwen and wandered into the Elaine White paintings section.

He saw one painting of a dragon, its eyes a brilliant gold, and the creature reminded Arthur of Kilgharrah. The resemblance was startling.

But what was even more startling was the hooded figure Arthur could just see in the shadows in the empty space to the right of the dragon.

Arthur was positive that the hooded figure had _moved._

Could the figure be…? Could it be Merlin?

"Hello there," a woman's voice said behind him.

Arthur turned around to face the woman who had spoken.

She was petite, about his age, and she had curly blonde hair and light brown eyes.

"Sorry, I just wanted to introduce myself…I'm Elaine Quicksilver. I painted all of these," she said, waving her hand at the paintings along the wall Arthur was looking at.

"Wait – I thought it was Elaine White?"

She smiled. "Oh, that was my agent's suggestion. She thought 'Quicksilver' was too odd-sounding if you could believe that. But it's really my last name, I assure you," she said confidently.

He wondered if it was just a fluke that that was her last name or if it really meant she was from the Quicksilver line, that she could be a descendant of Arthur Quicksilver.

"My name is Arthur," he introduced himself, putting out his hand.

She shook it. "Nice to meet you, Arthur," Elaine said sincerely.

Arthur pointed to the dragon painting and hoping he wasn't going to sound crazy, asked her if she had painted a hooded figure in the same painting. He pointed at the spot where he still saw the hooded figure.

Elaine frowned, shaking her head. "No, but I'm not surprised. There are always inexplicable things showing up in my paintings. But, well, you're the only other person besides me who's noticed something or someone who shouldn't be in a painting of mine."

"What do you see?" Arthur asked her, feeling especially curious now.

Elaine looked uncertain for a moment, but then she seemed to come to a decision and she told him, "A sword…in everything I paint, it's always there. And I know I didn't paint the sword in, but without fail, it always shows up. In the sky, on the ground, in the water, it's there. Considering the subject of my paintings, I would guess the sword would be Excalibur…or maybe I'm just seeing things. Except the pattern has become a normal thing, so I doubt it's my imagination anymore. I don't know _why_ I'm even seeing the sword."

Arthur could only guess this was confirmation as to her being a true Quicksilver, but it was rather startling to encounter her here of all places…at an art gallery showing. It was definitely unexpected.

"Yes, she is," Kilgharrah suddenly spoke inside his head, "A lot of Quicksilver descendants still around today. It's not uncommon that a good number of his descendants are unaware of Arthur Quicksilver's great feat. In this time, not many truly believe in magic after all."

"Right. Thanks," Arthur answered back silently.

He turned back to Elaine. "I –uh – my last name is Pendragon. Not exactly a 'Smith' kind of name either."

She looked amused. Then her brown eyes lit up. "Oh! Since your name is Arthur, maybe you'd like to see the painting I did of King Arthur?" Elaine offered.

Arthur smiled, nodding. "Sure, I'd love to see it."

* * *

When Arthur was twenty in his next reincarnation (and the fact that reincarnation was a normal thing for him was still quite startling), he saw Merlin for the first time since he'd witnessed his death in his previous life.

Arthur was home from uni for the summer holiday.

The dark-haired man was sitting on a park bench reading "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White. Richard and Kahlan had visited Arthur a few times in the past year, and so Arthur knew that Merlin was only a few months older than him.

True, both of them still had their past memories and felt older than their outward ages, but Arthur couldn't believe his luck…that Merlin had been reborn only _months_ before Arthur had. He had remembered his past lives only a year ago, though Arthur learned that Merlin had known for about three years already. It had taken months for Arthur to sort out his past memories and figure out how to proceed with his life from there. Fortunately, Richard and Kahlan's visits had helped him, provided him with the support he needed (and news from Avalon as well).

And so, it was a year later that Arthur decided to seek out Merlin. And that's why he was here.

Merlin didn't look up from his book. So Arthur took the initiative and went over to sit beside Merlin on the wooden bench.

"So…" Arthur began. How in the world should he begin? The two of them hadn't even had the chance to talk properly (without Merlin being under Confession) about Merlin's mother being a Confessor and how that one detail affected the Dragonlord's life in unfortunate ways…

Merlin turned to him, his face politely inquisitive. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Arthur looked at him incredulously. "Are you really doing this, Merlin? Kahlan told me you would be here."

Merlin set his blue eyes on Arthur for a long moment. Seeing something that agreed with him, maybe, Merlin sighed and put his book aside.

"How are you then?" Merlin asked lightly.

"Merlin, I had a lot of time to think about what happened during your Confession. The rest of my last life, I toiled over what to think, how to comprehend everything I've learned. Still, I'm grateful that I finally know what you've been hiding from me. You can't change who your mother was, Merlin."

Merlin shook his head, frowning. "She _didn't _order me to kill my own daughter, to kill Morgause… that was my fault. Everyone keeps saying that I should just blame my mother, that I was a victim of my circumstances. But how could you, Arthur? How could you even look at me now knowing that I killed a child, my own flesh and blood once upon a time?"

"I know what it feels like to be scared, Merlin. I was scared, almost fearful even, when Kahlan was born and her power was revealed. But I tried not to let the fear overwhelm me. What good would that do?" He said tiredly, and then he continued on, his tone fervent. "But what happened to you, what your mother did to you…_ten long years_, Merlin. I could understand that that could have driven you to act rashly. What counts is you learned from your wrongdoing. I could see that you cared for Kahlan despite her being a Confessor. You honestly wanted her to be happy and you did all you could to insure that. She wouldn't be over the moon with Richard if you hadn't done your best to find the right man for her. Focus on all the good you did, Merlin. You helped me when I was King…you always tried to do right by people."

Merlin looked relieved. "Thank you, Arthur. I was just worried…I would understand if you couldn't bear to look at me. If you don't feel comfortable around me…"

"Merlin, have you listened to a word I said?" Arthur said in exasperation.

Without another word, Arthur leaned forward and kissed Merlin on the lips.

Merlin gave him an apologetic look after the kiss. "I'm sorry I put all that on you and then died… but I couldn't bear to see you die. And I wouldn't be a good Dragonlord if I'd let my dragon die."

Arthur sighed. "Kahlan told me that you knew that Cara could have saved us, but instead you chose to give up your immortality."

"I was tired, Arthur. So, so tired," Merlin emphasized. He combed through his hair, trying to ease the restlessness in his hands. "I needed to do it for myself. I didn't know if I would be reborn or not, but it had to be done. And you're important to me, Arthur, and I would give my life for you."

"You know, most people would just say they love someone over going ahead and dying for them," Arthur pointed out.

Merlin peered at him, a soft smile on his face. "But we aren't most people, are we, Your Majesty?"

Arthur sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess not," he agreed.

"I do have something for you, actually. As an apology, I suppose, for what happened… it's not much, but," Merlin paused.

Arthur looked at him expectantly. "What is it?"

Merlin held out his hand. His eyes flashed golden and a gold ring with a shining ruby stone at its center appeared in his palm.

Arthur stared at the ring, not sure what to say, but he certainly couldn't deny the ring's beauty.

Merlin looked down at the ring and then looked to Arthur. "There's an inscription on the inside of the band."

"Could I see it?" Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded, giving the ring to him. "It's yours. Do you like it?" he asked uncertainly.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, I do…oh my god," he breathed out. Upon closer look, Arthur noticed that there was an image within the ruby stone. It was like a snow globe, an image contained inside, and Arthur could see the castle at Camelot reflected in the ruby's depths. What was more impressive was the moving image of a dragon, Kilgharrah he guessed, flying overhead. It was beautiful.

"You really outdid yourself, didn't you?" Arthur asked.

Merlin shrugged, grinning at him all the same. "I couldn't resist doing something a little extra… I hoped you would like it."

Arthur smiled back at him. "I'm just glad to see you again."

"As am I," Merlin said steadily.

And Arthur wanted to kiss him again, but he refrained, however reluctantly.

Merlin shifted closer to him and he pointed out what was etched along the inside of the band.

Arthur squinted a bit before he was able to read the inscription.

The inscription read: For you, I give my heart. Always, Merlin

Arthur read it out loud and looked up at Merlin.

"To a new start, yeah? I want to make the most of this life," Merlin remarked.

"But what about Nimue?" Arthur wondered. "You were with her for centuries…yes, I know she was your adoptive mother in this life, but still…all those years."

"Arthur, don't worry about Nimue. She understands… I just want – I just want to be with you now, okay?"

Arthur took a deep breath and let it out. He nodded. "All right. But if this is only because you're tired of Nimue or something then…"

Merlin only slipped the ring on Arthur's finger in response. Then he pulled Arthur toward him and kissed him fiercely on the lips.

"You mean everything to me. _Everything._ I mean it," Merlin declared.

"After all these years, we have our chance…" Arthur remarked, still in a bit of disbelief that it was actually happening here and now.

"But it was worth the wait," Merlin said, smiling.

Arthur had to agree. Maybe patience was a virtue after all, and long waits reaped unexpected rewards…

Then Merlin admitted, "I was still under Confession, you know, when I saved you."

Arthur looked at him in surprise. "Kahlan told me that you succumbed to the blood rage, that you had lost control of yourself as a result."

Merlin sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yes, that's true. But still, I remember what _I felt_ then, Arthur. I was still Confessed to Kahlan. She didn't order me to do what I did. No matter what she had learned about my past, she would never see that as the action to take. That's why she brought Cara with her, so that she could give the Breath of Life if need be," he said. "It was all _me_, Arthur. I chose to do it. Because I loved you," he said resolutely, his blue eyes bright and vivid as they pierced Arthur's. "I love you," he spoke softly this time, emotion choking his words.

Arthur's mind was swirling. He had always believed that Confession was absolute, and here was Merlin saying that he'd broken through. That he loved Arthur so deeply that he had overcome the power of Confession to save him…it was something out of a Disney movie or a fairytale. It was terribly unreal, but yet, here and now…it _was_ real. And he was so glad to have Merlin by his side again, and this time, this life, they would have their chance.

"But Confession – I thought the love was all-consuming, that only upon death could the enchantment be broken. How did you manage-?" Arthur wondered.

Merlin shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I must have had a window of opportunity. Or maybe I'm defective," he said, smiling at the joke. Arthur gave him a wry look. "I suppose, I cared for you enough, loved you enough to break through somehow… lucky that," he finished, a small smile on his face.

Arthur let out a long sigh, trying to compose himself. "_Gods,_ Merlin. I don't even know what to say. I just – I'm in love with you and if you _ever _sacrifice yourself for me again, I _will _hurt you," Arthur warned him, looking stern.

Merlin nodded, though he was smiling. "Duly noted."

When they kissed, Arthur thought he could never top this feeling of pure joy in his heart.

* * *

Merlin and Arthur were so caught up in each other that they didn't see Richard and Kahlan magically appear a few feet away, both carrying ice cream cones.

But that was all right, since the pair didn't notice them either. They were too swept up in their own conversation and eating ice cream.

Kahlan caught sight of Merlin and Arthur first. She pointed out the two of them to Richard. She smiled, grateful to see them happy together.

"Do you want to stay here, Kahlan?" Richard asked her. "They look like they're doing fine. We could return to Avalon. You saw your father already," he reminded her.

Kahlan looked unsure. "I worry about Grandfather, after what he went through…" she remarked, "I don't know. Maybe we should stay for another day? I want to know how things are between them now. Don't you?"

Richard nodded. "I'm curious too, I agree. But it might be awkward if they saw us now. We should leave the park before we're noticed."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," she agreed.

They walked a little further away.

"You know, I can scarcely believe how much Cara, of all people, is enjoying spending time with Kilgharrah. I told her the other day, Richard, that I was positive that she must have been a Dragonlord in another life," she told him, her lips twisting into a smile at the thought.

"Knowing Cara, she probably was," Richard remarked, amused.

"You wouldn't believe what she said in response though."

"What did she say?"

Kahlan laughed. "She looked at me strangely and told me that if anything, she would have been a _dragon_, not a Dragonlord."

"If that's the case, whoever her Dragonlord was wouldn't have survived the first night with her," Richard commented, his tone half serious, half jest.

"The poor soul," Kahlan said, smiling widely.

They finished their ice cream and Richard extended his arm to her. "My Lady," he said, smiling.

"My love," Kahlan replied softly, slipping her arm through his.

Then the two of them disappeared.

_Fin _


End file.
